Laurent Biondi, sports manager.
"A young team, behind a unique leader"
"We will be at the start of the Giro d'Italia with a young team, behind a unique leader: Aurélien Paret-Peintre.
His goal will be to achieve the best overall classification possible. We hope to see him in the top 15 and even close to the top 10 if the race goes well.
He will be able to count on two experienced riders with Mikaël Cherel and Lawrence Warbasse. Alex Baudin, Paul Lapeira and Valentin Paret-Peintre will race their first big tour. Finally, Nicolas Prodhomme and Andrea Vendrame have already shown their quality on the three weeks races and will be important elements of the team.
All of them will be at Aurélien's service but will also work in the quest for a stage victory. We know how to do it and it will once again be a major objective for the AG2R CITROËN team at this Giro d'Italia.
It should be noted that, in consultation with the team's sports management, Felix Gall, who was initially scheduled to take part in the first grand tour of the season as he did last year, will concentrate on a more specific preparation for the Tour de France (July 1-23) and is now among the riders likely to take part in the Grande Boucle in July."
Laurent Biondi presents the eight riders that will be in the starting line-up for the Giro d'Italia 2023.
Alex Baudin
21 years old
1st participation
"Alex will discover the three-week races. He will be an important part of the team's strategy on the medium mountain stages. He will be able to slip into breakaways to aim for a victory or to support Aurélien. His qualities as a puncheur/climber will be important to achieve our collective goals.
Mikaël Cherel
37 years old
5th participation
Best result: 23rd overall (2022)
"Mikaël will be our road captain. It's a role he masters to perfection. He will be starting his 18th grand tour. His experience will be invaluable to lead the team from the inside, to teach the youngsters not to make mistakes and to accompany our leader throughout these three weeks. His preparation has been studious."
Paul Lapeira
22 years old
1st participation
"Paul has a lot of spirit. Like Alex, he will be racing his first grand tour. The rider from Normandy has the qualities to be in a position to win on several stages. He will continue his apprenticeship and will be able to count on Mikaël, a rider with whom he shares a beautiful history, since they both come from Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët (Normandy). Mikaël has followed Paul since his young years, it's a beautiful wink. His goal will be to get into the breakaways or to support Aurélien.
Aurélien Paret-Peintre
27 years old
2 professional wins
2nd participation
Best result: 16th overall (2020)
"Aurélien is our unique leader. He will do everything possible to achieve the best possible overall classification. Running the Giro d'Italia was a request from him, his motivation is high. He has prepared himself well, including a 20-day course at Etna with Mikaël. His ability to federate and pull the group upwards will be invaluable to take the whole team with him towards this objective of the general classification.
Depending on how the race goes, Aurélien may have the opportunity to win a stage. He is a winner."
Valentin Paret-Peintre
22 years old
1st participation
"Valentin is in good shape. He continues his progression little by little. Running his first grand tour alongside his brother will be a very good thing for him. His climbing skills will be important to support Aurelien or to slip in front and play for victory in the high mountain stages.
Nicolas Prodhomme
26 years old
2nd participation
Best result: 65th overall (2022)
"Nicolas will be starting his fourth grand tour. We will need him on the hilly courses. He has proven in the past that his ability to recover is very interesting. He will be able to contribute to the team throughout the three weeks but also find himself in a position to win a stage. He is a young rider rider but he already knows how to handle a big tour."
Andrea Vendrame
28 years old
4 professional wins
6th participation, 1 stage win (2021)
Best result: 50th overall (2020 and 2021)
"Andrea is an important part of our team at the start of the Giro d'Italia. He is at home and obviously very motivated. He knows the courses perfectly, which is a valuable asset. He has proven on several occasions that he can perform well. Andrea is often present at the front. He has 16 top 10 finishes on this grand tour. We know he has the ability to win a stage like he did in 2021. That's what he wants and so do we."
Lawrence Warbasse
32 years old
5th participation
Best result: 17th overall (2020)
"Larry is the second most experienced person on our team. He has eight grand tours under his belt. He's an important part of the team to get into the breakaways but also to give advice to the young riders. He knows how to pass on the right information when needed. Larry will also have an important role with Aurélien. He knows how to support a leader.
5
The number
Five riders out of the eight riders at the start of the Giro d'Italia are from the AG2R CITROËN U23 team: Alex Baudin, Paul Lapeira, Aurélien Paret-Peintre, Valentin Paret-Peintre and Nicolas Prodhomme.
Alex Baudin, Paul Lapeira and Valentin Paret-Peintre will compete in their first major tour.
It will be Mikaël Cherel's eighteenth.
