Skip to content
Surf Wiki
Save to docs
sports

From Surf Wiki (app.surf) — the open knowledge base

2011 Team Europcar season

None


None

2011 Team Europcar season

|-

**Manager **
One-day victories
-
Stage race overall victories
-
Stage race stage victories
-
}

The 2011 season for the cycling team began in January with La Tropicale Amissa Bongo and ended in October with Yukiya Arashiro's performance in the Japan Cup. It was the team's twelfth season as a professional cycling team, although its second as a UCI Professional Continental team. Unlike fellow former UCI ProTeams , , and , they did not seek the status for 2011, thus in order to compete in any UCI World Tour event, the team had to be invited in advance, by race organizers.

The season was one of the best in the team's history, with 20 victories and a Tour de France with multiple noteworthy performances. Team leader Thomas Voeckler wore the yellow jersey as race leader for ten days; the second such occurrence of his career, after also leading for ten days in 2004. Unlike that race, however, Voeckler poised himself as a serious overall contender and took fourth place overall; the best result by a French rider since 2000. While he spent most of the Tour riding in Voeckler's service, Pierre Rolland won one of the marquee stages, up Alpe d'Huez, eventually finishing 11th overall and winning the young rider classification.

Voeckler was one of the more prolific winners of the early season, tallying eight victories in 2011, the last of them obtained on May 8. The veteran Frenchman won five stages at four stage races, plus the overall crowns at the Tour du Haut Var and the Four Days of Dunkirk along with the single-day Cholet-Pays de Loire.

2011 roster

Ages as of January 1, 2011.

;Riders who joined the team for the 2011 season

Rider2010 team
Sébastien Chavanel{{cite webauthor=Cycling News
Jérôme Cousin{{cite webauthor=Barry Ryan
Tony HurelVendée U
Christophe Kern{{cite weburl=http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=31155
Kévin RezaVendée U
David Veilleux{{cite webauthor=Kirsten Frattini

;Riders who left the team during or after the 2010 season

Rider2011 team
Freddy BichotTeam Véranda Rideau Sarthe
William Bonnet{{cite webauthor=Barry Ryan
Steve Chainel{{cite webauthor=Barry Ryan
Pierrick Fédrigo{{cite webauthor=Barry Ryan
Laurent LefèvreRetired
Matthieu Sprick
Yuri Trofimov{{cite webauthor=Cycling News
Johann Tschopp{{cite webauthor=Barry Ryan
Nicolas Vogondy{{cite webauthor=Jean-François Quénet

One-day races

Spring classics

The team had a solid showing at the traditional opener to the French cycling season, the Grand Prix d'Ouverture La Marseillaise. While 's Jérémy Roy easily won the race with a solo breakaway, Gautier rode to sixth place by finishing near the front of the peloton two and a half minutes behind.{{cite web |access-date=2011-11-26 |archive-date=2011-11-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111102121645/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/grand-prix-cycliste-la-marseillaise-1-1-1/results |url-status=live |access-date=2011-11-26 |archive-date=2011-12-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111207042105/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/kuurne-brussel-kuurne-1-1/results |url-status=live |access-date=2011-11-26 |archive-date=2012-10-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121002045408/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/les-boucles-du-sud-ardeche-souvenir-francis-delpech-1-1-1/results |url-status=live |access-date=2011-11-26 |archive-date=2011-03-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110305092151/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/43rd-le-samyn-1-1/results |url-status=live

On the same weekend as the more prestigious Milan–San Remo, to which the team was not invited, they picked up two wins in single-day races. Veilleux won La Roue Tourangelle beating 's Anthony Delaplace in a two-up sprint five seconds ahead of the main field. Chavanel led the field across the line, giving Europcar two out of the three podium spots.{{cite web |access-date=2011-03-21 |archive-date=2011-03-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110324192534/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/10th-la-roue-tourangelle-region-centre-classic-loire-touraine-vignobles-and-chateaux-1-2/results |url-status=live |access-date=2011-03-21 |archive-date=2012-10-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121002232843/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/cholet-pays-de-loire-1-1/elite-men/results |url-status=live |access-date=2011-03-21 |archive-date=2011-03-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110323095211/http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/voeckler-confuses-crowds-with-europe-tour-leaders-jersey |url-status=live |access-date=2011-03-21 |archive-date=2011-03-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110324181951/http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/voeckler-puts-cholet-pays-de-loire-win-in-perspective |url-status=live

In April, Jérôme won Tro-Bro Léon. He credited the win to advice from teammate Quemeneur, who hails from the area where the race was won, about the roads on which it was run. Also working in Jérôme's favor was a timely puncture from teammate Hurel. After Hurel got a wheel change, Jérôme had bridged up to him, so Hurel went to work for Jérôme. Jérôme and Will Routley then broke away from two riders for the final sprint, which Jérôme won with a time gap.{{cite web |access-date=2011-04-19 |archive-date=2011-09-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110902143355/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tro-bro-leon-1-1-2/results |url-status=live |access-date=2011-11-26 |archive-date=2011-09-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110918081342/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-du-finistere-1-1-1/results |url-status=live |access-date=2011-11-26 |archive-date=2011-09-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110911211117/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/boucles-de-laulne-1-1-1/results |url-status=live

The team also sent squads to Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Dwars door Vlaanderen, E3 Prijs Vlaanderen – Harelbeke, Gent–Wevelgem, the Route Adélie de Vitré, the Tour of Flanders, the Flèche d'Emeraude, the Scheldeprijs, Paris–Roubaix, Paris–Camembert, the Brabantse Pijl, the Grand Prix de Denain, and the Grand Prix de Plumelec-Morbihan, but finished no higher than 11th in any of these races.

Fall races

Cousin took ninth at the Polynormande, in fourth position from the peloton behind five breakaway riders.{{cite web |access-date=2011-11-26 |archive-date=2011-08-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807131904/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/la-poly-normande-2011/results |url-status=live |access-date=2011-11-26 |archive-date=2011-09-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110912124259/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/chateauroux-classic-de-lindre-trophee-fenioux-1-1-2/results |url-status=live |access-date=2011-11-26 |archive-date=2012-01-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120115125817/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/gp-ouest-france-plouay-upt-2/results |url-status=live |access-date=2011-11-26 |archive-date=2012-01-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125093812/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/grand-prix-de-la-somme-1-1/results |url-status=live |access-date=2011-11-26 |archive-date=2011-12-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111204160415/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-de-vendee-1-hc-1/results |url-status=live

The team also sent squads to the Tour du Doubs, the Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec, Paris–Brussels, the Grand Prix Cycliste de Montréal, the Grand Prix de Wallonie, the Grand Prix d'Isbergues, Binche–Tournai–Binche, Paris–Bourges, Paris–Tours, the Giro del Piemonte, the Giro di Lombardia, and the Japan Cup, but finished no higher than 11th in any of these races.

Stage races

Just as they had been in 2010 under their former guise as – when the team won two stages and the overall classification with Charteau – the team was very successful at La Tropicale Amissa Bongo in Africa. Gène took the team's first win of the year (and accordingly, first under their new name) in stage 2, the only stage that finished outside the race's primary host nation of Gabon, winning a field sprint in Ebolowa in Cameroon.{{cite web |access-date=2011-02-08 |archive-date=2011-01-29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110129160242/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/la-tropicale-amissa-bongo-tabo-2-1-1/stage-2/results |url-status=live |access-date=2011-02-08 |archive-date=2011-01-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110130072221/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/la-tropicale-amissa-bongo-tabo-2-1-1/stage-4/results |url-status=live |access-date=2011-02-08 |archive-date=2011-02-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110201054612/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/la-tropicale-amissa-bongo-tabo-2-1-1/stage-5/results |url-status=live |access-date=2011-02-08 |archive-date=2011-02-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110202125920/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/la-tropicale-amissa-bongo-tabo-2-1-1/stage-6/results |url-status=live |access-date=2011-02-08 |archive-date=2011-09-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110910013735/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/41st-etoile-de-besseges-2-1/stage-5/results |url-status=live |access-date=2011-02-14 |archive-date=2011-02-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110215012137/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-mediterraneen-cycliste-professionnel-2-1-1/stage-1/results |url-status=live |access-date=2011-02-21 |archive-date=2011-02-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110220194136/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/43rd-tour-cycliste-international-du-haut-var-2-1/stage-1/results |url-status=live |access-date=2011-02-21 |archive-date=2011-02-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110222220720/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/43rd-tour-cycliste-international-du-haut-var-2-1/stage-2/results |url-status=live |access-date=2011-02-26 |archive-date=2011-02-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110222192305/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-south-africa-2-2/stage-1/results |url-status=live |access-date=2011-02-26 |archive-date=2011-02-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110225103502/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-south-africa-2-2/stage-3/results |url-status=live |access-date=2011-02-26 |archive-date=2011-02-28 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110228081252/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-south-africa-2-2/stage-7/results |url-status=live

Voeckler entered Paris–Nice optimistic for results, but with the realization that the stage 6 individual time trial would limit any chances he had on the overall crown.{{cite web |access-date=2011-03-17 |archive-date=2011-03-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110307144415/http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/7657/Thomas-Voeckler-motivated-but-realistic-about-Paris-Nice.aspx |url-status=live |access-date=2011-03-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110312171640/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/69th-paris-nice-his/stage-4/results |archive-date=2011-03-12 |url-status=dead as De Gendt had spent all his energies drilling the group to the line in order to get the time gap he needed to retake the race leadership. It was Voeckler's first career Paris–Nice stage win, after having competed in the race since 2003.{{cite web |access-date=2011-03-17 |archive-date=2011-03-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110311134430/http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/7711/Paris-Nice-Voeckler-grabs-dramatic-fourth-stage-De-Gendt-recaptures-yellow-jersey.aspx |url-status=live |access-date=2011-03-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110313074051/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/69th-paris-nice-his/stage-5/results |archive-date=2011-03-13 |url-status=dead but he rebounded to win stage 8 from another breakaway. Again joining the morning escape, Voeckler was one of relatively few riders who chose to complete the race by riding a slippery descent of the Col d'Eze, and stayed out front by 23 seconds over 's Diego Ulissi and one minute, 22 seconds over the peloton. He finished the race in 21st place overall. |access-date=2011-03-17 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110316173218/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/69th-paris-nice-his/stage-8/results |archive-date=2011-03-16 |url-status=dead He added a sixth win on the season at the Giro del Trentino. Breaking away with Michele Scarponi on the climb to Ledro Bezzecca which closed out stage two, Voeckler defeated the Italian in the sprint 25 seconds ahead of the peloton. Upon seeing Scarponi make the juncture to him, he had been careful not to expend too much effort and leave himself fresh for the eventual sprint.{{cite web |access-date=2011-04-26 |archive-date=2011-04-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110425035145/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/giro-del-trentino-2-hc/stage-2/results |url-status=live |access-date=2011-05-11 |archive-date=2011-05-10 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110510140734/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/4-jours-de-dunkerque-tour-du-nord-pas-de-calais-2-hc-1/stage-4/results |url-status=live |access-date=2011-05-11 |archive-date=2011-05-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110511070143/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/4-jours-de-dunkerque-tour-du-nord-pas-de-calais-2-hc-1/stage-5/results |url-status=live

The team was successful in stage-hunting at events later in the season. Chavanel took his first win since rejoining the team, and first in three years, at the Circuit de Lorraine, winning a nearly full field sprint.{{cite web |access-date=2011-11-26 |archive-date=2011-09-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110918011515/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/circuit-de-lorraine-professionnel-2-1-1/stage-2/results |url-status=live |access-date=2011-11-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111125204351/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/criterium-du-dauphine-upt/stage-5/results |archive-date=2011-11-25 |url-status=dead The team's performances on the race's last day got them the victory in the race's teams classification as well.{{cite web |access-date = 2011-11-26 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111103170717/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/criterium-du-dauphine-upt/stage-7/results |archive-date = 2011-11-03 |url-status = dead |access-date=2011-11-26 |archive-date=2011-08-20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110820221404/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/37th-boucles-de-la-mayenne-2-2/prologue/results |url-status=live |access-date=2011-11-26 |archive-date=2011-09-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110912070046/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/37th-boucles-de-la-mayenne-2-2/stage-3/results |url-status=live |access-date=2011-11-26 |archive-date=2011-09-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110902093152/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/35th-route-du-sud-la-depeche-du-midi-2-1/stage-2/results |url-status=live |access-date=2011-11-26 |archive-date=2011-09-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110916064419/http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-du-poitou-charentes-2-1/stage-5/results |url-status=live

The team also sent squads to the Tour de Langkawi, the Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen, the Circuit de la Sarthe, the Tour de Romandie, the Rhône-Alpes Isère Tour, Bayern-Rundfahrt, the Tour de Luxembourg, Paris–Corrèze, the Danmark Rundt, the Tour du Limousin, and the Tour of Britain, but did not achieve a stage win, classification win, or podium finish in any of them.

Grand Tours

A black man of about thirty, wearing a blue and white cycling jersey with orange trim, a matching cap, and sunglasses.
nolink=yes}}, was the first black rider in the Tour's 98-year history.

As a Professional Continental team, Europcar needed to be selected by the organizers of any of the Grand Tours in order to participate. They were selected to ride the Tour de France,{{cite web |access-date=2011-11-26 |archive-date=2011-01-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110123213034/http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-de-france-selects-22-teams |url-status=live

Tour de France

The Amaury Sport Organisation announced the wildcard entries to the Tour de France in January, much earlier than in past years. Team Europcar had among their number French national champion Voeckler, though he lost that title shortly before the Tour, a de facto national hero after he wore the yellow jersey for ten days in the 2004 Tour de France. Confident of their inclusion,{{cite web |access-date=2011-11-26 |archive-date=2011-09-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110909052240/http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/europcar-confident-of-tour-de-france-invitation |url-status=live |access-date=2011-11-26 |archive-date=2011-09-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110902075624/http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/voeckler-leads-europcar-at-tour-de-france |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711164429/http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2082253,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 11, 2011 |access-date=2011-11-26 |access-date=2011-11-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150707060737/http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-france/stage-2/results |archive-date=2015-07-07 |access-date=2011-11-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111102121529/http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-france/stage-7/results |archive-date=2011-11-02

Stage 9 was the Tour's toughest stage to that point, with seven climbs during the 208 km parcours. Voeckler, who entered the day in 19th place a minute and 29 seconds down in the overall classification, made a high-powered breakaway with Luis León Sánchez, Sandy Casar, Juan Antonio Flecha (all of them stage winners in one or more previous Tours) and Johnny Hoogerland. Some 36 km from the finish line, a car from France Télévisions sideswiped Flecha and Hoogerland, the two front riders at the time, sending both off their bicycles and Hoogerland crashing into a barbed-wire fence. After a few uncertain minutes while he appeared to want to wait for Flecha and Hoogerland to rejoin them, Voeckler then drove the breakaway hard. With prior race leader Thor Hushovd well back, the yellow jersey was bound to change hands, and Voeckler's time gap over the main field at the time of Flecha and Hoogerland's crash made him very likely to be the rider to take it. Voeckler's efforts left him unable to sprint at the end of the stage, and Sánchez won, but his near four-minute time gap over the peloton gave him the yellow jersey by a minute and 49 seconds over Sánchez and two minutes and 26 seconds against the best-placed overall favorite, Cadel Evans in third place.{{cite web |access-date=2011-11-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111111135454/http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-france/stage-9/results |archive-date=2011-11-11

The overall standings did not change until stage 12, on Bastille Day, which ended with the hors catégorie climb to Luz Ardiden. Voeckler finished ninth on the day, ceding 20 seconds to most of the race's top overall riders, but still had sufficient time in hand to remain race leader by nearly two minutes. Rolland finished at his side for tenth on the day.{{cite web |access-date = 2011-11-26 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20111120212845/http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-france/stage-12/results |archive-date = 2011-11-20 |url-status = dead |access-date=2011-11-26 |archive-date=2011-07-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715204300/http://www.velonation.com/News/ID/9061/Voeckler-expects-to-lose-yellow-jersey-in-Tour-de-Frances-first-real-mountain-stage.aspx |url-status=live |access-date=2011-11-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111117080823/http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-france/stage-13/results |archive-date=2011-11-17 |access-date=2011-11-26 |archive-date=2011-09-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110923152849/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cycling/14174595.stm |url-status=live |access-date=2011-11-27 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150720205411/http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-france/stage-14/results |archive-date=2015-07-20 |access-date=2011-11-26 |archive-date=2011-09-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110921054533/http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/07/news/no-one-is-more-surprised-at-thomas-voecklers-success-in-the-2011-tour-de-france-than-thomas-voeckler-himself_184415 |url-status=live |access-date=2011-11-26 |archive-date=2011-07-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721041031/http://www.usatoday.com/sports/cycling/tourdefrance/2011-07-20-alberto-contador-tour-de-france_n.htm |url-status=live

Stage 18 was undoubtedly the most difficult in the Tour, incorporating three hors catégorie climbs, including the Col du Galibier at the finish; as such, race organisers defined the stage as the race's queen stage. When Andy Schleck, who began the day two minutes and 36 seconds behind Voeckler, surged away from the race's top riders 60 km from the finish and quickly made it to the morning breakaway, it seemed all but certain that he would become the new race leader. While Schleck easily won the stage, Voeckler followed Evans as the Australian made a strenuous pull at the end of the stage to limit his time losses. At the very end, Voeckler lost Evans' wheel and fell to fifth on the day, two minutes and 21 seconds behind Schleck. Visibly so spent that he could not sit upright on his bicycle after crossing the finish line, Voeckler had retained the yellow jersey by a margin of 15 seconds. He said afterwards that while he had expected to lose the jersey earlier in the Tour, on this day all the team's efforts were put into retaining it.{{cite web |access-date=2011-11-26 |archive-date=2011-07-26 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726232747/http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/07/news/2011-tour-de-france-notebook-stage-18-voeckler-hangs-on-no-gifts-for-andy_185463 |url-status=live |access-date=2011-11-26 |archive-date=2011-07-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110724184517/http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/07/news/inside-the-tour-with-john-wilcockson-voeckler-the-survivor-has-restored-romanticism-to-the-tour_185551 |url-status=live |access-date = 2011-11-26 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150724032600/http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-france/stage-18/results |archive-date = 2015-07-24 |url-status = dead

With Voeckler having visibly given it everything he had in stage 18, and another hors catégorie finish looming (at Alpe d'Huez) in stage 19, he was no longer the favourite to keep the yellow jersey to Paris, as Evans and the Schleck brothers held an advantage over him in the high mountain stages. Though stage 19 was also the Tour's shortest, Voeckler was indeed dropped between the Col du Galibier (visited again in stage 19) and Alpe d'Huez, finally ceding the jersey to Schleck. However, the day was still a very good one for the team. On the ascent of the Galibier, Voeckler told Rolland not to work for him any further and to ride his own race, and Rolland rode at or near the front of the race the rest of the day. Together with Spaniards Alberto Contador and Samuel Sánchez as the leading group on Alpe d'Huez, Rolland rode away from them with 2.5 km to race and took the day's honors, the first and only stage win for a French rider in this Tour. He also claimed the best young rider white jersey by finishing two minutes the better of ' Rein Taaramäe, who had begun the day in the lead in that classification. Voeckler finished 20th on the stage, losing three minutes to most of the other top riders, but this dropped him only to fourth place overall.{{cite web |access-date=2011-11-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111017031525/http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-france/stage-19/results |archive-date=2011-10-17

The stage 20 individual time trial was to be the Tour's final competitive stage, since its final stage is traditionally mostly ceremonial and only competitive at the sprint finish. Voeckler's position was likely secure, being a minute and 13 seconds behind Evans and a minute and 21 seconds ahead of Damiano Cunego, both time gaps unlikely to be recouped due to Voeckler's and Cunego's limited time trial skills. However, Rolland's position as best young rider remained in play due to his minute and 33 seconds advantage over Taaramäe, and Taaramäe's time trial abilities well superior to Rolland's. Rolland rode one of the best time trials of his career to finish 21st. Taaramäe finished tenth, and took back 47 seconds, but it was insufficient to take back the white jersey.{{cite web |access-date = 2011-11-26 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120725085934/http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-france/stage-20/results |archive-date = 2012-07-25 |url-status = dead |access-date=2011-11-26 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140920230609/http://www.cyclingnews.com/tour-de-france/stage-21/results |archive-date=2014-09-20

Season victories

DateRaceCompetitionRiderCountryLocation
{{dtsJanuary26}}La Tropicale Amissa Bongo, Stage 2UCI Africa Tour{{sortnameYohannGène}}
{{dtsJanuary29}}La Tropicale Amissa Bongo, Stage 5UCI Africa Tour{{sortnameYohannGène}}
{{dtsJanuary30}}La Tropicale Amissa Bongo, OverallUCI Africa Tour{{sortnameAnthonyCharteau}}
{{dtsJanuary30}}La Tropicale Amissa Bongo, Teams classificationUCI Africa Tour
{{dtsFebruary6}}Étoile de Bessèges, Stage 5UCI Europe Tour{{sortnameSaïdHaddou}}
{{dtsFebruary9}}Tour Méditerranéen, Stage 1UCI Europe Tour{{sortnameThomasVoeckler}}
{{dtsFebruary20}}Tour du Haut Var, OverallUCI Europe Tour{{sortnameThomasVoeckler}}
{{dtsFebruary20}}Tour du Haut Var, Points classificationUCI Europe Tour{{sortnameThomasVoeckler}}
{{dtsFebruary22}}Tour of South Africa, Stage 3UCI Africa Tour{{sortnameYohannGène}}
{{dtsFebruary26}}Tour of South Africa, Points classificationUCI Africa Tour{{sortnameYohannGène}}
{{dtsFebruary26}}Tour of South Africa, Teams classificationUCI Africa Tour
{{dtsMarch9}}Paris–Nice, Stage 4UCI World Tour{{sortnameThomasVoeckler}}
{{dtsMarch13}}Paris–Nice, Stage 8UCI World Tour{{sortnameThomasVoeckler}}
{{dtsMarch20}}Cholet-Pays de LoireUCI Europe Tour{{sortnameThomasVoeckler}}
{{dtsMarch20}}La Roue TourangelleUCI Europe Tour{{sortnameDavidVeilleux}}
{{dtsApril17}}Tro-Bro LéonUCI Europe Tour{{sortnameVincentJérôme}}
{{dtsApril20}}Giro del Trentino, Stage 2UCI Europe Tour{{sortnameThomasVoeckler}}
{{dtsMay7}}Four Days of Dunkirk, Stage 4UCI Europe Tour{{sortnameThomasVoeckler}}
{{dtsMay8}}Four Days of Dunkirk, OverallUCI Europe Tour{{sortnameThomasVoeckler}}
{{dtsMay19}}Circuit de Lorraine, Stage 2UCI Europe Tour{{sortnameSébastienChavanel}}
{{dtsJune10}}Critérium du Dauphiné, Stage 5UCI World Tour{{sortnameChristopheKern}}
{{dtsJune12}}Critérium du Dauphiné, Teams classificationUCI World Tour
{{dtsJune16}}Boucles de la Mayenne, PrologueUCI Europe Tour{{sortnameSébastienTurgot}}
{{dtsJune17}}Route du Sud, Stage 2UCI Europe Tour{{sortnameAnthonyCharteau}}
{{dtsJune19}}Boucles de la Mayenne, Teams classificationUCI Europe Tour
{{dtsJuly22}}Tour de France, Stage 19UCI World Tour{{sortnamePierreRollandPierre Rolland (cyclist)}}
{{dtsJuly24}}Tour de France, Young rider classificationUCI World Tour{{sortnamePierreRollandPierre Rolland (cyclist)}}
{{dtsAugust26}}Tour du Poitou-Charentes, Mountains classificationUCI Europe Tour{{sortnameAlexandrePichot}}
{{dtsAugust26}}Tour du Poitou-Charentes, Sprint classificationUCI Europe Tour{{sortnameDamienGaudin}}

Away from competition

Change of title sponsor

Midway through the 2010 season, Bouygues Telecom announced that they wished to reduce their involvement in financing the team, and were interested in continuing their partnership with the squad. This was on the proviso that team manager Jean-René Bernaudeau could find a primary sponsor that would allow Bouygues Telecom to contribute €1 million to the team's budget, but the rest of its finances would be covered by an incoming sponsor. At this point in time, the team had lodged an application to become a UCI ProTeam once again in 2011. Following his victory in the inaugural Grand Prix Cycliste de Québec, Voeckler was complacent about his team's future, believing his team manager Bernaudeau would eventually find a sponsor. Bernaudeau himself was still hopeful of acquiring a deal at that point, but that deadlines were working against him in order for the team to return as a professional team from the 2011 season onwards.

Four road racing cyclists viewed from behind, wearing special jerseys that are, from left to right, prominently white, yellow, green, and red polka-dotted.
Rolland, at far left, before the start of the Tour's final stage, with the other jersey winners, shows the Europcar logo.

After talks with an organisation in Paris, which later turned out to be French multinational oil company Total, Bernaudeau set his sights on another company, a banking group, and at best, rated his team's chances of survival as "6 out of 10". Voeckler was equally pessimistic about the team's chances of survival, having stated that the team could not have done any better, than they had in 2010. Voeckler had also received offers from rival French squads and about joining their respective teams, if in the worst-case scenario that folded. Bernaudeau obtained an extension from the Union Cycliste Internationale, in relation to the registration records for the team, which had to be submitted before 1 October.

Ultimately, Voeckler signed a contract with on 1 October, which would have only become official if folded. Voeckler announced a complete U-turn on his move a day later, with preliminary reports from France stating that the team had indeed found a sponsor – on a three-year deal from the 2011 season onwards – and that it was car rental company Europcar that had joined the team as sponsor on the proviso that Voeckler, the French national champion, was part of the team's roster. The deal was officially confirmed later that day, but the team were no longer eligible to apply for a ProTeam licence due to the delay in finding a sponsor. Bernaudeau sent the team's dossier to the Union Cycliste Internationale on 4 October, requesting Professional Continental status for another year; this status was granted in November.

Footnotes

References

References

  1. (2 November 2010). "Registration of UCI ProTeams and UCI Professional Continental Teams for the 2011 Season". [[Union Cycliste Internationale]].
  2. (1 February 2011). "2011 UCI Cycling Regulations". [[Union Cycliste Internationale]].
  3. Quénet, Jean-François. (24 July 2011). "Voeckler best Frenchman since 2000". Future Publishing Limited.
  4. Maloney, Tim. (20 July 2004). "Hook 'em horns: Big Tex returns in Villard-De-Lans". Future Publishing Limited.
  5. (24 July 2011). "Mark Cavendish wins historic green jersey". [[BBC]].
  6. "Team Europcar (EUC) - FRA". [[Union Cycliste Internationale]].
  7. Haake, Bjorn. (26 February 2011). "Langeveld takes two-man sprint against Flecha". VeloNation LLC.
  8. (23 March 2011). "Nuyens victorious at Dwars door Vlaanderen". Future Publishing Limited.
  9. (26 March 2011). "Cancellara cruises to victory in late solo breakaway". Future Publishing Limited.
  10. (27 March 2011). "Boonen sprints to victory". Future Publishing Limited.
  11. Quénet, Jean-François. (1 April 2011). "Dion opens the Breton campaign". Future Publishing Limited.
  12. Decaluwé, Brecht. (3 April 2011). "Nuyens makes his big break through". Future Publishing Limited.
  13. Gachet, Frédéric. (3 April 2011). "Flèche d'Emeraude: Classement". Association Le Peloton.
  14. (6 April 2011). "Cavendish prevails in Scheldeprijs". Future Publishing Limited.
  15. (10 April 2011). "Standing". [[Amaury Sport Organisation]].
  16. (12 April 2011). "Casar gets the big cheese in Paris-Camembert". Future Publishing Limited.
  17. (13 April 2011). "2011 Brabantse Pijl results". Competitor Group, Inc..
  18. (14 April 2011). "2011 GP de Denain Porte du Hainaut results". Competitor Group, Inc..
  19. (28 May 2011). "Georges triumphs in Grand Prix de Plumelec-Morbihan". Future Publishing Limited.
  20. (4 September 2011). "Vichot victorious in Tour du Doubs". Future Publishing Limited.
  21. Frattini, Kirsten. (9 September 2011). "Gilbert triumphs in GP Quebec City". Future Publishing Limited.
  22. (10 September 2011). "2011 Paris-Brussels results". Competitor Group, Inc..
  23. Frattini, Kirsten. (11 September 2011). "Costa claims GP Montreal". Future Publishing Limited.
  24. (14 September 2011). "Gilbert triumphs in Grand Prix de Wallonie". Future Publishing Limited.
  25. (19 September 2011). "Jorgensen edges O'Grady to win Isbergues". Future Publishing Limited.
  26. (4 October 2011). "Selig sprints to victory". Future Publishing Limited.
  27. (6 October 2011). "Hayman tops sprint for Paris-Bourges win". Future Publishing Limited.
  28. (9 October 2011). "Standing Élite". [[Amaury Sport Organisation]].
  29. (13 October 2011). "Moreno wins Gran Piemonte". Future Publishing Limited.
  30. Friebe, Daniel. (15 October 2011). "Zaugg solos to win in Lombardia". Future Publishing Limited.
  31. (23 October 2011). "2011 Japan Cup Cycle Road Race results". Competitor Group, Inc..
  32. (22 January 2010). "Charteau backs up overall lead with stage win". Future Publishing Limited.
  33. (24 January 2010). "Étape 5 - Lambaréné-Kango le 23 janvier 2010". Fonds national pour le développement du sport du Gabon.
  34. (25 January 2010). "Étape 6 - Owendo-Libreville le 24 janvier 2010". Fonds national pour le développement du sport du Gabon.
  35. (7 March 2011). "Giro d'Italia: RCS Sport invites 23 teams". Future Publishing Limited.
  36. (31 May 2011). "Vuelta a España wildcards announced". Future Publishing Limited.
  37. (10 July 2011). "Hushovd to hold on?". [[TF1 Group]].
  38. (20 July 2011). "Prudhomme confirms Tour de France queen stage on Galibier". Future Publishing Limited.
  39. (21 July 2011). "The Spin: Stage 18". [[WordPress]].
  40. Smith, Justin. (22 July 2011). "Schlecks to battle Cadel Evans, Thomas Voeckler for Tour de France yellow jersey, Alberto Contador slumps". [[Premier Media Group]].
  41. Brown, Gregor. (21 July 2011). "Evans gambles with Tour de France win". IPC Media Limited.
  42. Richardson, Simon. (21 July 2011). "Tour analysis: Schleck goes long". IPC Media Limited.
  43. (25 January 2011). "La Tropicale Amissa Bongo start list". Future Publishing Limited.
  44. (19 February 2011). "We're going for the overall win". [[Europcar]] International.
  45. "Riders list". [[Amaury Sport Organisation]].
  46. (16 June 2011). "Boucles de la Mayenne: Les partants". Association Le Peloton.
  47. Cossins, Peter. (19 July 2010). "Voeckler talks up his team after Luchon win". Future Publishing Limited.
  48. Ryan, Barry. (12 August 2010). "Bbox-Bouygues Telecom still searching for new sponsor". Future Publishing Limited.
  49. (16 August 2010). "UCI ProTour team licences: 14 applications for 8 licences". [[Union Cycliste Internationale]].
  50. Ryan, Barry. (15 September 2010). "Voeckler fears worst-case scenario for Bbox Bouygues Telecom". Future Publishing Limited.
  51. Ryan, Barry. (21 September 2010). "Bernaudeau still optimistic of finding new sponsor for BBox". Future Publishing Limited.
  52. Canault, Romain. (28 September 2010). "Bernaudeau garde espoir". Le Figaro Group.
  53. (23 September 2010). "Bbox-Bernaudeau: "Plus qu'une piste"". Groupe Ouest-France.
  54. Ryan, Barry. (23 September 2010). "Bbox future hanging in the balance". Future Publishing Limited.
  55. Farrand, Stephen. (25 September 2010). "Time is running out for Bbox Bouygues Telecom". Future Publishing Limited.
  56. Quénet, Jean-François. (3 October 2010). "Europcar confirms three-year sponsorship deal". Future Publishing Limited.
  57. Stokes, Shane. (1 October 2010). "Voeckler to sign for Cofidis if BBox Bouygues Telecom stops". VeloNation LLC.
  58. Ryan, Barry. (2 October 2010). "BBox set to survive as Voeckler opts not to sign for Cofidis". Future Publishing Limited.
  59. Atkins, Ben. (2 October 2010). "Bbox team saved as Europcar steps in as replacement sponsor". VeloNation LLC.
  60. (2 October 2010). "Europcar Sponsors Jean-René Bernaudeau's Cycling Team". [[Europcar]] International.
  61. Ryan, Barry. (5 October 2010). "UCI publishes 20 teams seeking ProTeam licences in 2011". Future Publishing Limited.
  62. (2 November 2010). "First UCI ProTeams and Professional Continental Teams announced". Future Publishing Limited.
Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

Want to explore this topic further?

Ask Mako anything about 2011 Team Europcar season — get instant answers, deeper analysis, and related topics.

Research with Mako

Free with your Surf account

Content sourced from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This content may have been generated or modified by AI. CloudSurf Software LLC is not responsible for the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of AI-generated content. Always verify important information from primary sources.

Report