AG2R La Mondiale name 2010 roster

French ProTour team AG2R La Mondiale today announced their complete 28-rider roster for the 2010 season. The squad will welcome seven newcomers, including two neo-pros.

Frenchman Julien Berard, 22, and Luxembourger Ben Gastauer, 22, have been recruited from French amateur squad and AG2R-feeder team Chambéry Cycling Training for their debut professional seasons.

Gastauer's has signed for the team after riding as a stagiaire since the start of August. In June, he won the opening stage and the overall title at the three-day Tour des Pays de Savoie.

Berard, too, has previous experience with AG2R, having ridden as a stagiaire with the squad in the latter half of 2008. He returned to the amateur level for this season, where he claimed stage victories at the Ronde de l'Isard and Tour de l'Avenir.

The two youngsters will join an influx of former-Agritubel riders to the team. Maxime Bouet, David Le Lay and Anthony Ravard were confirmed during this year's Tour de France. French road race champion, Dimitri Champion, and Belgian Kristof Goddaert (from Topsport Vlaanderen) complete the list of riders to will swap their current jerseys for AG2R colours.

AG2R hope that the new riders will improve the team's prospects of victory in 2010. Despite Rinaldo Nocentini's eight-stage possession of the leader's jersey at this year's Tour de France, AG2R had a disappointing season. The last of their five their five victories occurred close to three months before the end of the season on stage three at the Tour de l'Ain.