Turgot and Gaudin sign with Ag2r-La Mondiale for three years
2012 Paris Roubaix runner-up set to bolster classic's squad
Ag2r-La Mondiale has boosted its squad for the cobbled classics by signing both Sébastien Turgot and Damien Gaudin from Europcar. The French pair have both signed three-year contracts with Ag2r.
With five victories in seven years, Turgot is not a prolific winner but his fast finish and quiet consistency make him a good signing for the Ag2r squad. Having finished eighth in this year's Tour of Flanders and second in last year's Paris-Roubaix, Turgot's classics experience will also be a welcome addition to a team that has made little impact in the cobbled classics in recent seasons.
The 29-year-old Turgot has ridden for Jean-René Bernaudeau’s team since turning professional in 2006. He rode for Bouygues Telecom for four years and remained on board for a following three years after the team changed title sponsors to become Team Europcar. Now with the continued backing of a French team, Turgot can continue chasing his aspiration to become France's first Paris-Roubaix winner since Frédéric Guesdon in 1997.
Turgot will be joined at Ag2r by his close friend, current Europcar teammate and sometime Madison partner Damien Gaudin. The powerful Gaudin enjoyed a break-out spring in 2013, winning the prologue of Paris-Nice and Cholet-Pays de Loire, and finishing an impressive 5th at Paris-Roubaix.
The 27-year-old has been a professional since 2008, and like Turgot, Gaudin raced came through the ranks in Jean-René Bernaudeau’s set-up, racing for Vendée U as an amateur, and then for Bouygues Telecom and Europcar as a professional.
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