Foldable Bikes Party: Vincent Lavenu's cycling dream team

Tuesday 29 November 2016

Vincent Lavenu's cycling dream team

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The latest instalment in Cyclingnews' 'Dream Team' run of features sees long-standing AG2R La Mondiale team manager, Vincent Lavenu, select a team of nine from riders he's ridden with or managed. The Frenchman had a short professional career but is better known for creating the AG2R team all the way back in 1992.

The rules:

Dream teams must feature nine riders, one of which can be the rider selecting the team, in which case they pick eight riders to join them.
The riders picked must have all ridden with the person picking the team. That means you can’t just pick the eight or nine best riders of a generation.

Romain Bardet - leader

I'm putting Bardet number one. It's a story in progress, and who knows how his palmares might end up. He’s an incredible talent.

He's a guy we have a peculiar history with because when he was 10 he followed a race in my car. We had a partner from Michelin who was president of his club and asked if could take him in the car. He never said anything, and then the day after he signed his contract he said I've got a story to tell you…'When I was 10 I followed San Sebastian in your car and I told myself that if I turned pro one day it would be with you'.

He is very ambitious. He doesn't make a big thing of it or anything but secretly he has very big ambitions. Above all, he never stops working – always more, always more, always more work. He wants to progress, in his nutrition, sleep, position, micro nutrition…everything. He's always on the hunt for ways to improve. He always has room for more belief – that's his character.

He's 'faux-calme', as we say. He's placid and all that, but in the thick of a race he's nervous like a champion. Like we say in France, un cheval de course. In races he maybe needs to calm himself down slightly.