Carly Light (AIS Australia Women (Image credit: Régis Garnier)
The French continental team BigMat-Auber 93 has added one man to their 10-men roster: Florian Morizot. The 24-year-old returns to the team he rode for from 2006 to 2008.
He joined Besson Chaussures in 2009, but his contract wasn't renewed when the team became Saur-Sojasun and moved into the Professional Continental ranks. "I've been afraid to be left with no team but fortunately I can thank [team manager] mister Javalet and the BigMat company," Morizot said.
BigMat was the sponsor of the Parisian team present at the Tour de France until 2001, but the company pulled out of cycling sponsorship after the squad failed to qualify for the Grande Boucle. However, Auber 93 remained in the peloton as a Continental team with the philosophy of helping young riders to jump onto bigger teams.
In the past few years, Mathieu Drujon and Arnold Jeannesson graduated from Auber 93 to Caisse d'Epargne and William Bonnet to Crédit Agricole (now with Bbox Bouygues Telecom).
BigMat's comeback as a sponsor allowed Javalet to welcome back the rider who won the time trial of the Tour of Poitou-Charentes in 2008, beating no less than Lars Boom by 18 seconds on a 23km course.
Morizot proved himself to be a great time triallist again when he finished 5th in the Chrono des Nations won by Alexandre Vinokourov in October last year.
"I'll resume racing in mid-April (15th) and I'll do the Tour de Bretagne (April 25-May 1st) as well," Morizot said. An attractive time trial on the island of Jersey on the second day of the Tour de Bretagne will be the first test of his delayed start.
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