Countdown to the Giro – 19 Days to go: Domenico Pozzovivo Profile

My original article can be found here http://www.vavel.com/en/cycling/340349-countdown-to-the-giro-19-days-to-go-domenico-pozzovivo-profile.html

Domenico Pozzovivo in his Colnago days, on his way to winning a stage in the 2012 Giro d’Italia. Image by Agostino Minichini https://www.flickr.com/photos/aggas/

Domenico Pozzovivo is the clear leader for AG2R La Mondiale at the Giro and will surely go into the race targeting his first ever podium finish. Reportedly measuring in at 5’5” and a little over 8 stone, Pozzovivo is one of the smallest riders in the professional peloton and ideally suited for the steep terrain of the Giro d’Italia.

Pozzovivo enjoyed his best ever season in 2012, headlined by a stage win and 8th overall finish at the Giro d’Italia. That earned him promotion to the World Tour with the French team AG2R La Mondiale team, as they sought a new leader for the Giro d’Italia. Strictly speaking that idea didn’t go to plan in 2013 as Pozzovivo could only manage a 10th overall finish in the Italian race, which was far short of the performance envisaged by both team and rider. However two weeks prior to the race Pozzovivo had crashed out of the Giro del Trentino, fracturing two ribs in the process. He was still suffering from that injury when the Giro d’Italia got underway and was unable to reach his peak performance level as a result.

Pozzovivo bounced back in the second half of the season. A 7th place finish in the Tour de Pologne preceded an impressive 6th overall finish in the Vuelta a Espana, his debut at the Spanish Grand Tour, and 4th in Milano-Torino, a semi-classic with a summit finish. The most impressive part of his Vuelta debut was his 3rd place finish on the individual time trial, a result that surprised everyone in cycling, including the rider himself, who reported that he just felt very strong that day. It was a hilly course, and Pozzovivo is a decent time trialist for a rider of his slight stature, but even so it was a shock to see him finish ahead of a number of riders who would normally expect to beat him comfortably.

Pozzovivo has enjoyed some reasonable results in 2014, he was solid when riding to a 6th place finish in Tirreno-Adriatico, and was also 8th overall in the Volta a Catalunya. However his most impressive performance of the season came when he was 5th in the one day classic Roma Maxima.

On the ascent of the Campi di Annibale, the Movistar duo of Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde worked over the peloton with a series of attacks. When Valverde went clear of the pack Pozzovivo was able to follow him, before launching a stinging attack of his own as the climb grew steeper towards the top, it was all Valverde could do to hang on close behind. Unfortunately for Pozzovivo the crest of the climb came 35km from the finish, and he isn’t built to hold off an organised chase.

When the racing goes uphill during the Giro, we can expect Pozzovivo to be there, dancing on the pedals and using his size to his advantage. Anything less than a top 5 finish will be a disappointment for him, and a podium place is certainly a possibility, but he cannot afford to suffer any setbacks along the way this time around.

 

2014 Rider Watch: Romain Bardet – AG2R La Mondiale

Tour de l’Ain, a photo by joménager on Flickr.

A gifted climber, Romain Bardet, 23, is part of the new wave of seriously talented French cyclists. As a junior and amateur he seemed best suited to being a puncheur, racking up good results in the hilly races, climbing pretty well but also showing enough speed to get into the mix in some of the bunch sprints. However as he has developed it has become increasingly clear that he can climb with the best and is at home in the high mountains; a terrific talent for sure. Bardet’s neo-pro season in 2012 went by without any huge results but a few strong performances, as well as plenty of races to ease him into the professional life. The first standout performance was in the Amstel Gold Race where Bardet finished 25th after managing to slip into a break of about ten riders. As the race sped up the break was slowly whittled down on the many hills, however Bardet managed to outlast all of his companions and was only caught by the peloton with around 7km to go. A few days later he was attacking again on a mountainous stage of the Tour of Turkey where the inclines were steep, finishing 4th on the stage and 4th overall in the race. In Il Lombardia Bardet made it into the break and was once again the last escapee to be caught, this time after a valiant effort to stay clear on the Ghisallo, the penultimate climb of the race.

In 2013 Romain Bardet took on a more prominent role for AG2R, and frequently helped animate races. He was aggressive in the Ardennes again, attacking on the slopes in La Fleche Wallonne prior to finishing 13th in Liege-Bastogne-Liege, with only five riders finishing ahead of the group Bardet was in. He was 4th overall in the Route du Sud, finishing in the lead group after crossing the tough Port de Bales. Later in the season Bardet won the Tour de L’Ain after attacking on the Col du Grand Colombier, another tough climb, then staying clear with Wout Poels to take the race lead. However the biggest performance of the year came in his debut at the Tour de France where Bardet finished 15th overall as the highest ranked French rider. That doesn’t tell the whole tale either, Bardet had been caught out in the winds on stage 13, losing roughly nine minutes on most of the riders around him on the GC, he had also been riding for the team leader JC Peraud, rather than protecting his own position. When Peraud crashed out on the stage 17 ITT, Bardet found himself sitting 20th overall, the team leader and needing to make up time in the three upcoming mountain stages. Bardet did just that, moving up in the GC after each stages, and finishing 11th on the climb to Semnoz, final summit finish. In fact Bardet did well on all four summit finishes, 14th on Ax 3 Domaines, 19th on Mont Ventoux and 16th on Aple d’Huez; impressive consistency from such a young rider.

Bardet has already been named a leader for the Tour de France this season, alongside Peraud and Betancur, and he should certainly return to the Ardennes. I expect another step forward from Bardet much like we saw in 2013 and this should translate to strong performances in some of the shorter stage races, possibly Paris-Nice or the Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco as part of his build up for the Ardennes. Whatever his targets are he will certainly attack them with gusto and it should be fun to watch. If you want to follow Bardet on twitter click here Follow @romainbardet.

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2014 Team Preview – AG2R La Mondiale

AG2R La Mondiale have been going through something of a transformation over the past two seasons, trying to change their image within cycling. They had been regarded as lacking ambition, a team that was happy to put up a decent showing in the French races and to cobble together just enough World Tour points to avoid relegation from the top tier of cycling. It wasn’t always a fair criticism but there was an element of truth to it, and as a result the team saw the departure of several key riders and the recruitment and development of a new group of leaders. This year, if all goes to plan, they will go to the Tour de France with a stronger and more attack minded team than they have had in recent years, with a trio of genuine leaders, one of whom is a veteran while the others are exciting talents. The first of these leaders is thirty six year old Jean-Christophe Peraud, the former mountain biker came to the road late, only turning professional in 2010. He has proven himself to be a classic GC rider, a strong climber and very good time trialist, consistent but rarely posing a stage win threat. Peraud finished 9th overall in the 2011 Tour de France but crashes have robbed him of a chance to repeat that level of performance, last season he was sitting in 9th place when forced out of the race, robbing the team of its GC presence.The presence of that long ITT on the penultimate day will suit Peraud who should be able to claw back time on some of the other GC riders on that day, certainly another top ten finish seems possible.

Alongside and potentially eclipsing Peraud at the Tour de France should be Carlos Betancur, 24, an explosive Colombian climber who is entering his second season at AG2R. Betancur was sensational for a two month spell in 2013, finding form at the Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco and keeping it until the end of the Giro d’Italia. Betancur finished 7th overall in the Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco, having been 2nd on the 3rd stage after an epic slow motion sprint against Sergio Henao on a seriously steep finish. After that came the Ardennes and a 3rd place finish in La Fleche Wallonne, where he attacked too early, and a 4th place finish in Liege-Bastogne-Liege. Then the Giro where he finished 5th overall, won the White Jersey, recorded three 2nd place finishes and five top 4 finishes in total, a hugely impressive performance from the 23 year old. This season Betancur is aiming to return to the Ardennes in fine form and will then focus on the Tour de France, where he should excel, though the long ITT will be a concern. The third lead rider for the Tour de France should be Romain Bardet, 23. The gifted French climber finished 15th on his Tour de France debut in 2013 and will likely return as the team’s third option this year as part of his development into a true leader.

Last season AG2R added Italian Domenico Pozzovivo, 31, giving him a very belated debut as a World Tour rider and hoping that could improve the team’s results outside of France. Having previously recorded 8th and 9th overall finishes in the Giro, he will have been disappointed to finish 10th in 2013 while hampered by injuries, however he finished the season strong, with a 6th overall finish in the Vuelta and being much more involved in the racing. The diminutive Pozzovivo is one of the smallest riders in the peloton and very much a pure climber who is at his best when the climbs get steep. Despite his size he has proven to be able to hold his own against the clock, though his 3rd place finish in an ITT during the Vuelta was definitely better than normal from him. This year the first half of his season will again be aimed at success in the Giro, where he will hope to record his best ever finish. Veteran French rider Christophe Riblon, 33, has spent his entire career with AG2R. An attacking climber who has a proven ability to launch long range attacks in the mountains, winning two superb stages in the Tour de France that way; the first on Ax 3 Domaines in 2010, and the second on L’Alpe d’Huez last season. Riblon is at his best from a break, and has never shown the ability to remain competitive over a three week race, but he can be a contender for some of the shorter stage races. To support their leaders AG2R have a number of experienced climbing domestiques such as Maxime Bouet, Hubert Dupont, Matteo Montaguti, Mikael Cherel and Guillaume Bonnafond.

As well as the purer climbers listed above, AG2R always seem to have a number of strong all-rounders, riders who excel on the more rolling or hilly terrain, and make for excellent breakaway candidates as well as useful domestiques. The most notable of these riders is the veteran Italian Rinaldo Nocentini, 36, a good climber in his own right he finished 12th overall in the 2009 Tour de France. However Nocentini comes into his own on the shorter punchier climbs and can be competitive in the uphill sprints, making him an excellent one-day classic contender. In 2013 Nocentini was 3rd in Strade Bianche, 10th in La Fleche Wallonne, 13th in Liege-Bastogne-Liege, 2nd on uphill sprint stages in both the Vuelta a Burgos and Vuelta a Espana. Blel Kadri is a decent support climber but a more natural puncheur, as he showed when taking a fine solo win in Roma Maxima last season. Kadri started the Tour de France in fine form, escaping in breaks and managing to take the KoM jersey prior to the tour reaching the mountains proper. Powerful German time trialist Patrick Gretsch joins from Giant-Shimano, seeking a little more freedom to show his own skills outside of the ITTs and will be an asset to the leaders on the flatter stages. German Julian Kern, 24, enters his second professional season and will be hoping to start producing results, the former u23 European Champion is a promising puncheur. Other all rounders include Luxembourger Ben Gastauer, Canadian Hugo Houle, and promising French rider Axel Domont.

AG2R have a few fast men who are capable of picking up stage wins, but they lack a dominant sprinter. The diminutive veteran French sprinter Samuel Dumoulin, 33, took their only sprint victories in 2013. While Dumoulin struggles against the more powerful sprinters in the biggest bunch sprints, his size is a definite asset when climbing making him a strong opportunistic sprinter. Belarusian strongman sprinter Yauheni Hutarovich is a versatile and opportunistic sprinter capable of contesting the tougher sprint stages. Italian Davide Appollonio, 24, looked to be a highly promising young sprinter when he first made his name in the 2010 and 211 seasons, but the results and performances have cooled since then. AG2R also have the experienced Lloyd Mondory, young French sprinter Maxime Daniel and Lithuanian Gediminas Bagdonas as sprint or leadout out options.

A reinforced Classics unit.

Over the last few seasons AG2R have struggled to make a real impact in the Cobbled Classics, as a result the team have signed two strong riders who address that weakness. Experienced French classics specialist and strongman sprinter Sebastien Turgot, 29, joins from Europcar. In the past two seasons Turgot has finished 2nd (2012) and 10th (2013) in Paris-Roubaix, 8th in Ronde van Vaanderen (2013) and twice 10th in E3 Harelbeke. His 10th place finish in the most recent Hell of the North was impressive considering he suffered a puncture that forced him to lose contact with the lead group towards the end of the race. While Turgot will spend much of the season acting as a sprinter and working for the other sprinters, the team signed him for his Classics pedigree and that is where he will be expected to make an impact. Also joining from Europcar is Damien Gaudin, 27, a powerful rider and strong time trialist. Gaudin had an excellent Paris-Roubaix in 2013, finishing 5th after a race full of attacking riding as he wrestled his way clear of the peloton. Last season they added cyclo-cross rider Steve Chainel as a leader for the Classics, in 2012 Chainel had finished 8th in Gent-Wevelgem and 16th in Paris-Roubaix, then in 2013 for AG2R he was 17th in Paris Roubaix. Chainel will return to the cobbled races in 2014 alongside Turgot and Gaudin, as part of a stronger line-up for AG2R. The classics team will also include a number of the more physical sprinters, with Mondory, Hutarovich and Bagdonas all showing some degree of skill on the pave.

2014 outlook

AG2t La Mondiale are gearing up for success throughout the season with success in the Tour de France set to be the main objective given the strength of their lead riders. Expect to see them animate the racing throughout the spring, with Turgot and Gaudin on the pave, then Betancur, Nocentini and Bardet in the Ardennes. With the climbers at their disposal the team should also be competitive in many of the shorter stage races, Paris-Nice and the Criterium du Dauphine in particular.

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Transfer Talk: Sebastien Turgot signs for AG2R La Mondiale

Transfer Talk: Damien Gaudin Joins AG2R La Mondiale

 

Transfer Talk: Damien Gaudin Joins AG2R La Mondiale

Damien Gaudin, a photo by Petit Brun on Flickr.

Less than 24 hours after signing Sebastien Turgot, AG2R raid the Europcar ranks once again, this time to sign the other Cobbled Classics specialist on the Europcar roster, Damien Gaudin. It’s certainly a statement of intent from the AG2R team, they have given themselves a real presence for the Cobbled Classics season.
The 27 year old is a big and powerful rider, both traits that make him potent on the pave. He was 5th in this years Paris-Roubaix, 25th in 2012 and 16th in 2011, however he seems less suited to the steep bergs of the Ronde van Vlaanderen. He can appear to wrestle rather than ride his bike, but ungainly or not, it can be highy effective, anyone who watched him powering ahead in Paris-Roubaix would attest to that.
Damien Gaudin is also a strong time trialist, particularly on the shorter courses. He won the opening prologue in Paris-Nice this year, taking the race lead and beating several excellent time trialists in the process. As with Turgot, Gaudin adds a lot of power to the team, he will be a strong support rider for the GC riders.

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• Transfer Talk: Sebastien Turgot signs for AG2R La Mondiale (procyclingkev.wordpress.com)

Transfer Talk: Sebastien Turgot signs for AG2R La Mondiale

Le Tour 2011, a photo by Marc Poppleton on Flickr.

AG2R La Mondiale have definitely bolstered their early season classics squad with the signing of Sebastien Turgot. The 29 year old French rider started out as something of a sprinter, but has developed into a very good Cobbled Classics specialist instead. In the last two seasons he has finished 2nd (2012) and 10th (2013) in Paris-Roubaix, 8th (2013) in the Ronde van Vlaanderen, and twice 10th in E3 Prijs Vlaanderen-Harelbeke. A strong classics resume for sure, he was unfortunate in this years Paris-Roubaix, with a puncture troubling him at the wrong moment and forcing him to lose contact with Cancellara, though he still finished 10th. AG2R haven’t been known for their strength on the pave, this signing is clearly aimed at addressing that. While Turgot is more of a strongman than a sprinter, he does have enough speed to be competitive in the sprints. He has five top 10 finishes in the Tour de France to his credit, all in bunch sprints. He would certainly be an asset in a lead out train, though AG2R do not currently have a top sprinter on their roster. As with all powerful classics riders, Turgot would make a strong support rider on the flatter stages for the many AG2R climbers.

It seems like a blow to Europcar, though if they can keep Damien Gaudin they will still have a strong rider for the Cobbled Classics.

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