Cycling: Team AG2R – Citroën looks back on an average 2021. Without a real top driver, no real top result could be achieved. The prospects are less good that things will get better in the coming season.
AG2R - Citroën 2021: Ben O'Connor with the breakthrough
In recent years, the AG2R team has actually always drawn attention to itself by appearing as a team and always being able to bring many drivers to the top positions. This has changed somewhat insofar as you can no longer have a say in the absolute top of cycling. Romain Bardet's departure has left a void and ultimately the squad as a whole has changed a lot. But that also had its positive sides, which we especially see in the person of Ben O'Connor got to see. At AG2R – Citroën, the Australian finally fulfilled all the expectations that experts had seen in him years before. Fourth in the Tour de France, sixth in the Tour de Romandie and eighth in the Criterium du Dauphiné, he rose to become a truly serious GC contender. His stage win at the Tour de France is his biggest success to date. Benoit Cosnefroy won the Bretagne Classic - Ouest-France and the Tour du Finistère. Aurélien Paret-Peintre cheered at the GP Cycliste la Marseillaise and finished 15th overall in the Tour de France. Paris – Camembert and the Tour du Doubs started Dorian Godon. All of them good results, but these French – who are in the prime of cycling age – are relatively far from the top. The same now applies to Greg Van Avermaet. The Belgian absolutely failed to impress in 2021. His best result was third place in the Tour of Flanders.
AG2R - Citroën 2022: there is no improvement in sight
If we look at the transfers of the AG2R – Citroën team, we can't help but say that the team probably overslept the changeover period a bit. With the French Tony Gallopin, Alexis Gougeard, Julien Duval and François Bidard, as well as the Swiss Matthew Frank and the Luxembourger Ben Gastauer you lose six at least partially well-known drivers in the WorldTour. In return, only three new ones were brought in. The 20-year-old Frenchman Valentin Paret Peintre found his way to the team because of his brother. His compatriot is only two years older Antoine Raugel. And the Austrian Felix Gall is also only 23, but has at least gained experience in the WorldTour. All three professionals are not winners and they will probably not be able to appear as helpers in important races in 2022 - despite all their talent. So the team AG2R - Citroën loses a lot of substance. Can Ben O'Connor not confirm his strong season, the French team will take a big step backwards in 2022.