Team Europcar
Europcar have not been in the Po Tour since 2009 where they lost it due to constant poor results. Since then, they have produced some good results but have been unable to rejoin the ProTour. it is looking like they may next season due to SaxoBank’s poor results but will need to perform well this Tour.
Thomas Voeckler
Voeckler is one of the strongest, most determined riders of all time. Last year he showed he can be a GC contender but is unlikely to follow that up this season. He has had reasonable form- surprising in the cobbled classics and finishing 5th in the Amstel Gold Race. However, more recently he has struggled in the Dauphine and the Route De Sud- finishing neither and not troubling anyone. He needs to find his form and quickly.
Yukiya Arashiro
Arashiro has been on relatively average form this season, getting into a few breakaways but getting no stage wins. He did however finish 11th in the recent Route De Sud, which shows relative promise for the Tour. Arashiro is an okay sprinter but prefers to attack in breakaways and outsprint his companions. One of the finest Japanese riders so far.
Giovanni Bernaudeau
Bernaudeau is a surprise inclusion in the Tour squad in my eyes- as he has not been on great form but has attacked and sprinted okay when neccesary. He isn’t the greatest sprinter but will try and get into breakaways for his team- to give them a chance of stage win.
Anthony Charteau
Charteau is a former winner of the Tour De France polka-dot jersey ( mountains classification) after being an extremely attacking rider in the stages and attempting to hang on in big mountains. He is an okay climber who is currently having his best season since winning the polka dot jersey- winning the Tropicale Amissa Bongo and finishing 3rd in the Route De Sud (which involved the Col De Tourmalet). Charteau will not threaten overall but will likely be given a free role due to Voeckler, Rolland, Kern and Gautier working for each other in the mountains- for GC and stage wins.
Damien Gaudin
Gaudin will be here to work for team leaders Voeckler, Rolland and Kern and maybe attack on the right stage. He is a relatively good time triallist but will not threaten on the TT stages- nowhere near as good as Martin et al. However, he deserves his place in the squad and it will be good experience for the young man.
Cyril Gautier
Gautier is a good young rider who has heaps of potential for the future. He has a decent punch on the climbs and will be hoping to mature this Tour- helping his team in the Mountains and pouncing on any oppourtunity he might get.
Yohann Gene
Gene has made history before- becoming the first Black rider to ever ride the Tour. He has had a relatively good season this year- challenging in the Route De Sud and winning two stages in helping team-mate Charteau win the Tropical Amissa Bongo. Gene is primarily a sprinter who holds his own on the uphill sections. He will probably not challenge to be the first Black stage winner in the Tour but anything is possible.
Christophe Kern
Kern was having the best season of his career before crashing in last years Tour and ruled him out for the rest of that season. This was after an amazing 6th in the Dauphine and winning the French Time Trial Championship. He had found his mountain legs. This season he has failed to recapture his form of last year- demoted to helping Voeckler and Rolland looks likely.
Pierre Rolland
Last years white jersey winner will be hoping to build on his amazing result of last year and go for a top 10 finish again. He will likely be the teams main GC threat as Voeckler is out of form and prefers attacking for stage wins anyway. He has not shown amazing form but finished just outside the top 20 in the recent Dauphine shows okay form that is building for a strong Tour. An outside threat.
Europcar are probably the strongest non ProTour team in the world and will be looking to stake their claim for a place this Tour.
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