Ferrand Prevot, Lapeyrie join Team Lapierre International

Pauline Ferrand Prevot and Thomas Lapeyrie are the two newest members of the Lapierre International mountain bike team. They join Alexis Vuillermoz on the 2011 squad.

Two-time junior cross country world champion Ferrand Prevot will turn 19 in February. The young rider recently finished second in the French cyclo-cross national championship and is also the reigning junior road world champion and French junior time trial national champion.

"I am happy to be part of Team Lapierre International. It is one of the only teams which enables me to compete at a world class level in all of my disciplines: mountain bike, road, time trialing and cyclo-cross," said Ferrand Prevot.

"Ultimately, we have the same objective: the Olympics! My current goal is to go to London in 2012, but I am very focused on Rio 2016. Anyway, for the moment I don't want to make a choice between road and mountain bike, as long as I can race effectively in both of them."

With a winter of hard training already in his legs, Lapeyrie is looking forward to starting his racing season in March. "Although I got my cross country bikes very early from Lapierre, I really enjoy riding a 160mm during the winter. Now, I am looking forward to the pre-season training camps and to the season opener mid-March in Cassis," said Lapeyrie, who is the 2007 French four cross national champion and who finished third in the 2010 Under 23 cross country French Cup.

Vuillermoz welcomed his two new teammates and is going into the 2011 season with clear objectives.

"There is a new dynamic in the team, with a very focused target: the Olympics. While I know that selection for London will be extremely tough within the French team, I believe we have everything on our side to reach this goal," said Vuillermoz.

"I want to be in top condition in order to perform at my best. In a few days, I'm flying to Guadeloupe for two weeks of training. Conditions will be similar to the first World Cup in South Africa and I'll be able to mix road and mountain bike training."

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