A Team of Weapons

On stage 10 AG2R continued to deliver the yellow jersey to the finish line safely. During the last few days it’s been a combination of climbers, domestiques, sprinters, and workers all joining forces to form a shuttle service for Roberto Nocentini. In a way Nocentini has had the easiest job of all, he has only had to hit the wind a few times. A part of Nocentini’s weapons that are at his disposal is the new G5. It’s a bike that seems to defy a specific category because it excels in every discipline that a rider demands of it.

I spoke with Nicholas Roche at the start of stage 10 and he told me what it was like for him to work for the yellow jersey. “It was an amazing feeling on the bike riding tempo on the Tourmalet and pacing the yellow jersey with Contador and Armstrong sitting in the bunch. After the race I went to find Nocentini to thank him because it is something that I will never forget.” Each day Nocentini has yellow is a day each member on the team will forever cherish. Wearing or protecting the yellow jersey is something that only a few have ever had the chance to do. It creates bonds that are difficult to break and AG2R has shown they are a strong force to deal with.

As Nocentini rode to the start today he was relaxed and satisfied with his effort through the mountains. Although he was one of the last to arrive to the start line he still had plenty of time to talk and wave to the fans. I cornered him to ask about the last couple stages, “The mountains were hard but the team really helped me a lot.” I pressed him on how the bike has been performing for him despite its color not matching his yellow jersey. “The bike has been great and especially through the corners. Many bikes can be stiff but the G5 seems to fly through the corners and I feel safe with it.” Nicholas Rooche added, “The feeling of the bike out of the saddle is very responsive, especially with the nice wheels. In Barcelona, when there were a lot of crashes, I took a lot of risks to do the sprint and there was no problem with any of the steering. I loved it.”

Stage 10 was not only Bastille Day but all the talk was about the lack or radios. In the end the removal of the radios presented no problems today. There were many rumors about what was going to happen today at the start but in the end the French attacked on Bastille Day, as expected, and the peloton chased them. Not rocket science. For AG2R this was a day they didn’t have to ride to protect the yellow jersey so this allowed the other riders, on AG2R, to have some freedom to get a result at the finish. The Cavendish TGV train was at full speed and it was battle for the other sprinters to hop on board. Add to the fact that the race book which described the final finishing straight as dead flat and dead straight was completely wrong. The fight is on for the Green Jersey between Cavendish and Hushovd but not far behind is the consistent sprinting that Lloyd Mondory has put in. Finishing 6th on Stage 10, Mondory continues to place well in the large bunch gallops.

With a double work program each day, protecting the yellow jersey and keeping fresh for the bunch finish, AG2R is working overtime. With a team of specialists they should feel good about their stockpile of athletes and their ability to keep yellow for many more days.
-Frankie