Maxime Bouet (AG2R) (Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)
Jimmy Casper wins his first race of the season(Image credit: Isabelle Duchesne)
The French championships were used to determine the final choices of the AG2R La Mondiale team for the Tour de France. Maxime Bouet, Sébastien Minard and Sébastien Hinault will fill out the nine-man team behind leaders Nicolas Roche and Jean-Christophe Peraud.
The team will also include Blel Kadri, Christophe Riblon, Hubert Dupont and John Gadret for the Tour, which begins on Saturday July 2.
"We obviously are concerned with establishing the best possible team and the three riders won their seats," said Vincent Lavenu, general manager of the AG2R-La Mondiale team. "Maxime Bouet has shown today that he is at his best and is capable of doing great things on the Tour. Sébastien Minard will be a super-domestique while Sébastien Hinault will hold the role of captain on the road."
The Saur-Sojasun team also finalised its Tour de France squad after the French national road race championships, and has decided to leave out its top sprinter Jimmy Casper, who did not finish the race.
The final two spots were given instead to Jérémy Galland and Anthony Delaplace, who were the team's top finishers behind Cyril Lemoine, who was also not chosen for the Tour team.
AG2R La Mondiale for the Tour de France: Maxime Bouet, Hubert Dupont, John Gadret, Sébastien Hinault, Blel KADRI, Sébastien Minard, Jean-Christophe Peraud, Scrap Christophe, Nicolas Roche
Saur Sojasun for the Tour de France: Jérôme Coppel, Anthony Delaplace, Jimmy Engoulvent, Arnaud Coyot, Jérémy Galland, Jonathan Hivert, Fabrice Jeandesboz, Laurent Mangel and Yannick Talabardon.
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