Saur-Sojasun rolls out 23-strong team

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Saur-Sojasun team manager Stephane Heulot has set his team's main goal for 2012, and that is earning an invitation to the Tour de France. The Professional Continental team was presented in Châteaubourg on Friday, January 20.

Heulot said that the 14th place overall of Jerome Coppel in last year's edition of their home Grand Tour only served to whet the team's appetite for more.

The addition of Brice Feillu and David Le Lay to the team's developing young riders will reinforce the attacking style of the Professional Continental squad.

"Our style is oriented primarily toward aggression, and we have a number of young riders who are maturing, such as Jonathan Hivert, Julian Simon, and Anthony Delaplace, without forgetting Jerome Coppel or Brice Feillu: we have strong statements to make."

The all-French line-up features 23 riders, with Maxime Méderel and Eugène Tortelier amongst the newcomers. The team will begin its season at the Grand Prix de la Marseillaise and l'Étoile de Bessèges followed by a trip to Spain for the Trofeo Mallorca. After earning an invitation from the ASO, the team's first major race will be Paris-Nice.

Saur-Sojasun for 2012:

Cyril Bessy, Jérôme Coppel, Arnaud Coyot, Anthony Delaplace, Jimmy Engoulvent, Jérémie Galland, Jonathan Hivert, Fabrice Jeandesboz, Christophe Laborie, Cyril Lemoine, Guillaume Levarlet, Laurent Mangel, Jean-Marc Marino, Rony Martias, Jean-Lou Païani, Stéphane Poulhiès, Paul Poux, Julien Simon and Yannick Talabardon.

New riders: Brice Feillu, David Le Lay, Maxime Méderel and Eugène Tortelier.