Cofidis on the right path for 2011

The 2011 Cofidis team was presented today, with its 25 professional riders and five paralympians lining the stage of the Casino de Paris. Two riders have made the transition from rider to directeur sportif this season, with rouler Stephane Augé coming from within the organization and Didier Rous moving from Bouygues Telecom to the rival French squad.

Team manager Eric Boyer is keeping the team on the same path as previous years, adding three new young riders and a few veterans to the 18 who remained.

After finishing 2010 with 23 victories including stages of the Giro d'Italia (Damien Monier), Vuelta a Espana (David Moncoutie) and Paris-Nice (Amaël Moinard) and the mountains classification at the Vuelta by Moncoutie, the team has upped its goals for 2011. In order to return to the sport's top tier, it hopes to be the top-ranked French team in the UCI rankings, to obtain the Tour de France stage win which eluded it this year, and to claim the overall Coupe de France prize.

"I see the work we do, and I am confident," Boyer said during the presentation. "I am convinced we will achieve these objectives."

The team was ranked 20th in the UCI's world rankings and was not accepted into the ProTeams ranks for the upcoming season. Boyer said he would seek a first division license for 2012. "I am convinced that we are going in the right direction but we must understand that it takes time."

Boyer said last fall that the lack of a recognized leader may have cost the team its chance to return to the first division. While it has not recruited any new big names, he will continue to foster the development of promising riders like Belgian Jens Keukeliere and Estonian Rein Taaramae to grow into that role while also relying on proven winners like Samuel Dumoulin and new recruit, Nicolas Vogondy, to continue to perform.

Cofidis for 2011

Returning:
Mickaël Buffaz
Rémi Cusin
Jean-Eudes Demaret
Samuel Dumoulin
Julien El Fares
Julien Fouchard
Tony Gallopin
Arnaud Labbe
David Moncoutié
Damien Monier
Tristan Valentin
Leonardo Duque
Kevyn Ista
Jens Keukeleire
Nico Sijmens
Romain Zingle
Kalle Kriit
Rein Taaramae

New arrivals:
Yoann Bagot
Florent Barle
Nicolas Edet
Luis Angel Mate
Adrien Petit
Aleksejs Saramotins
Nicolas Vogondy

Départs:
Stéphane Augé
Guillaume Blot
Christophe Kern
Sébastien Minard
Amaël Moinard
Rémi Pauriol

Paralympians:
Jérémy Crépelière
Julien Hervio,
Arnaud Grandjean
Jérôme Lambert
Laurent Thirionet.

General manager: Eric Boyer.
Directeurs sportifs:
Stéphane Augé
Alain Deloeil
Jean-Luc Jonrond
Bernard Quilfen
Didier Rous

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