An interview with Christophe Moreau

Changing perspective

Along with 'Paco' Mancebo, Christophe Moreau is the second leader at the new ProTour squad AG2R, who is licensed to help his team-mate at the Tour de France. But he tells Cyclingnews' Hedwig Kröner, it's an agreement that works both ways.

Since Christophe Moreau discovered that a little aggressive riding could earn him a stage victory or a even a day in yellow, the 34 year-old has changed his perspective from the eternal first Frenchman on GC to a potential attacker, able to spice up the 2006 Tour de France.

Looking at the press kit with maps and profiles Cyclingnews brought to the interview, Moreau revealed that even the first week of racing could well hold some surprises in this year's Grande Boucle, especially as there will be no true favourite team to take control over the race before the mountains begin. And Moreau is determined to take advantage of that...

Cyclingnews: How did you team change to AG2R come about? During the Tour, things got stirred up with your former team, Crédit Agricole...

Christophe Moreau: Yes. My contract with Crédit Agricole was coming to an end. In principle, my intention was to continue with Crédit Agricole, and the team manager Roger Legeay wanted to wait a little before re-signing me. So I waited, one week into the Tour, two weeks, three weeks... during this time, suddenly, the French sporting press printed that Vinokourov was to come to Crédit Agricole. I didn't know that Legeay's future plan was to continue with another rider instead of me. All I was doing was waiting for an answer - positive or negative.

Legeay never confirmed or denied that he had dealing with Vinokourov, so to this day I don't know if it was even true. Anyway, from that moment on, I understood quickly that I wouldn't ride in this team's colours in 2006, because they had other plans on a strategic and sporting level.

Click here for the full interview