Team Europcar

Team information
UCI code	EUC
Based	France
Founded	2000 (2000)
Status	UCI Professional Continental
Bicycles	Colnago
Key personnel
General manager	Jean-René Bernaudeau
Team name history
2000–2002 2003–2004 2005–2008 2009–2010 2011–	Bonjour Brioches La Boulangère Bouygues Télécom Bbox Bouygues Telecom Team Europcar
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Current season
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Team Europcar (UCI team code: EUC) is a professional road bicycle racing team that competes as a UCI Professional Continental team on the UCI Europe Tour and, when selected as a wildcard, in UCI ProTour events. It was previously a member of the ProTour before being relegated after the 2009 season. Its title sponsor, Europcar, is a Paris-based car rental company. In previous years, the team was known as Brioches La Boulangère, Bonjour, Bouygues Télécom, and Bbox Bouygues Telecom.

Beginnings[link]

The team was founded in 1984 as System U. The team disbanded in 1985 but returned in 1986 under new management. Cyrille Guimard became the directeur sportif, bringing his protégé Laurent Fignon who nearly won the 1989 edition of the Tour de France. A change of sponsor in 1990 renamed the team Castorama.

In 1992 Guimard became manager of the team. In 1995, Jean-René Bernaudeau, a former professional racer, became director of the team. From 1996 to 1999, the team withdrew from top-level competition. Bernaudeau set up a development team in the Vendée region called Vendée U.

History[link]

Thomas Voeckler time-trialing in the previous Bouygues Télécom uniform

In 2000, the team again became a professional team Bonjour, still under the control of the sporting director Bernaudeau. In 2003, the team became "Brioches La Boulangère", then "Bouygues Télécom" in 2005. The amateur team Vendée U still acts as feeder team for the professional team.

As Bonjour and Brioches La Boulangère the team gained prominence with promising young stars Fabrice Salanson, Thomas Voeckler and Sylvain Chavanel. Salanson's death due to heart disease in 2003 was a blow to the team. Voeckler wore the maillot jaune for 10 days in the 2004 Tour de France while also French national champion and became a national hero.

The team competes mainly in French races. Chavanel left the team in 2005 to join Cofidis.

On 29 September 2009 Bbox Bouygues Telecom along with Cofidis were not allowed to renew their ProTour licenses due to poor results. ^[1]

Team Bbox Bouygues Telecom becomes Team Europcar (2010-2011)[link]

2011 Europcar team support vehicle convoy

In their first season post-relegation, the team made showings at some grand tours, winning several stages and holding various classification jerseys. They had particular success in the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France. However sponsorship questions and unmet desires to rejoin the top tier, continued to dog the team.

In late 2010, following a lengthy struggle to secure a sponsor for the 2011 season, Europcar was confirmed as the replacement, after assurances that then- French National Champion Thomas Voeckler would remain with the team,^[2] but the guarantee of the team's future, so late that it necessitated an extension of the usual UCI deadline for licence application, was too late to retain the services of Pierrick Fédrigo and Nicolas Vogondy. Voeckler's contract is worth over 400,000 euros a year, second only to Sylvain Chavanel among French riders, although he had been offered nearly twice as much to leave Bernadeau's team and join Cofidis for the 2011 season. ^[3][4][5]

Following these sponsorship questions, the team had its best year to date in 2011, winning stages in Paris-Nice and the Criterium du Dauphine (in which they also took the team competition). In July, Thomas Voeckler won and held the overall lead in the Tour of France for 10 days; support rider Pierre Rolland received accolades for his defense of Voeckler,^[6] and later took a stage victory on the famous Alpe D'Huez climb, leading to the race's overall white jersey title.^[7] The team also fielded Yohann Gène, the first black rider in the Tour.^[8] Europcar's new higher profile will allow it compete internationally in 2012 and sign more notable riders.^[9]

2012 season[link]

Team Europcar failed to achieve World Tour status for the second year, however they have shown strong early season form, taking second at the renowned Paris-Roubaix with Sébastien Turgot, and then winning the next classic on the schedule, as Thomas Voeckler rode solo to victory for 30 kilometers at the Brabantse Pijl.^[10][11][12] Following that result, the team continued their spring success with top-five showings from Voeckler in both Ardennes Week classics, the Amstel Gold and Liège–Bastogne–Liège.^[13]

The squad sent to Gabon also enjoyed stage victories in late April from both Géne and Voeckler, while Anthony Charteau won the overall lead for the third year running;^[14][15][16] and in Europe team sprinter Matteo Pelucchi took a stage in Dunkerque at the beginning of May.

Major results[link]

2000[link]

1st Stage 3 Tour de Langkawi, Damien Nazon

1st Stage 5 Paris-Nice, François Simon

1st Paris-Camembert, Didier Rous

1st Stage 4 Circuit des Mines, Sébastien Joly

1st Overall GP du Midi Libre, Didier Rous

1st Stage 1, Damien Nazon

1st Grand Prix de Villers-Cotterêts, Damien Nazon

1st Mi-Août 3, Jean-Cyril Robin

1st Stage 3 Tour de l'Ain, Frédéric Gabriel

1st GP Le Télégramme, Walter Bénéteau

1st Stage 1 Tour du Poitou-Charentes, Damien Nazon

1st Stage 3 Tour de l'Avenir, Fabrice Salanson

1st Stage 1 Circuit Franco-Belge, Sylvain Chavanel

2001[link]

1st Stages 3 & 4 Etoile de Bessèges, Damien Nazon

1st Tour de Vendée, Didier Rous

1st Trophée des Grimpeurs, Didier Rous

1st Overall 4 Jours de Dunkerque, Didier Rous

1st Stages 5 & 6a, Didier Rous

1st Prologue Dauphiné Libéré, Didier Rous

1st  France Road Race Championships, Didier Rous

1st Overall Tour du Limousin, Franck Bouyer

1st Stage 1, Franck Bouyer

1st Tour du Finistère, Franck Rénier

2002[link]

1st Stage 2 Tour of Qatar, Damien Nazon

1st Grand Prix de la Ville de Lillers, Pascal Derame

1st Overall Tour de Normandie, Jérôme Pineau

1st Overall Circuit de la Sarthe, Didier Rous

1st Tour de Vendée, Franck Bouyer

1st Trophée des Grimpeurs, Sylvain Chavanel

1st Overall 4 Jours de Dunkerque, Sylvain Chavanel

1st Stage 2 GP du Midi Libre, Fabrice Salanson

1st Stage 2a Tour of Belgium, Damien Nazon

1st Stage 1 Route du Sud, Damien Nazon

1st Stage 1 Tour de l'Ain, Damien Nazon

1st Stage 3 Tour du Poitou-Charentes, Damien Nazon

2003[link]

1st Stage 2 Tour of Qatar, Damien Nazon

1st Stage 2 Tour Méditerranéen, Emmanuel Magnien

1st Tour du Haut Var, Sylvain Chavanel

1st Critérium des Espoirs, Anthony Geslin

1st Grand Prix de la Ville de Lillers, Damien Nazon

1st Classic Loire Atlantique, Thomas Voeckler

1st GP Rudy Dhaenens, Christophe Kern

1st Stage 1 Critérium International, Damien Nazon

1st Stage 3b Circuit de la Sarthe, Sylvain Chavanel

1st Trophée des Grimpeurs, Didier Rous

1st Overall Tour de Luxembourg, Thomas Voeckler

1st Stages 1 & 3a, Thomas Voeckler

1st  France Road Race Championships, Didier Rous

1st Polynormande, Jérôme Pineau

1st Stage 1 Tour de l'Ain, Jérôme Pineau

1st Stage 2 Tour de l'Ain, Maryan Hary

1st Stage 1 Tour du Limousin, Didier Rous

1st Boucles de l'Aulne, Walter Bénéteau

1st Stages 2 & 3 Tour de l'Avenir, Sébastien Chavanel

1st Stage 8 Tour de l'Avenir, Thomas Voeckler

1st Stage 2b Tour de la Somme, Jimmy Engoulvent

2004[link]

1st Clasica de Almeria, Jérôme Pineau

1st Route Adélie de Vitré, Anthony Geslin

1st Stage 1 Circuit de la Sarthe, Franck Bouyer

1st Paris-Camembert, Franck Bouyer

1st Overall 4 Jours de Dunkerque, Sylvain Chavanel

1st Stage 3, Didier Rous

1st Overall Tour of Belgium, Sylvain Chavanel

1st A Travers le Morbihan, Thomas Voeckler

1st Stage 4 Route du Sud, Thomas Voeckler

1st  France Road Race Championships, Thomas Voeckler

1st Tour du Doubs, Mathieu Sprick

1st Stage 5 Tour de Wallonie, Sébastien Chavanel

1st Polynormande, Sylvain Chavanel

1st Overall Tour de l'Ain, Jérôme Pineau

1st Stage 1, Jérôme Pineau

1st Stage 3 Tour du Limousin, Didier Rous

1st Stage 3 & 4 Tour du Poitou Charentes, Sylvain Chavanel

1st GP Ouest-France, Didier Rous

1st Stage 1 Hessen-Rundfahrt, Unai Yus

1st Stages 2, 4 & 5 Tour de l'Avenir, Sébastien Chavanel

1st Stage 6 Tour de l'Avenir, Christophe Kern

1st Paris-Bourges, Jérôme Pineau

2005[link]

1st GP Cholet, Pierrick Fédrigo

1st Paris-Camembert, Laurent Brochard

1st Stage 1 Circuit de la Sarthe, Anthony Ravard

1st Stage 3 Circuit de Lorraine, Anthony Geslin

1st Overall 4 Jours de Dunkerque, Pierrick Fédrigo

1st Stage 3, Thomas Voeckler

1st Stage 6 Volta a Catalunya, Anthony Charteau

1st Stage 3 Route du Sud, Didier Rous

1st  France Road Race Championships, Pierrick Fédrigo

3rd Road World Championships, Anthony Geslin

2006[link]

1st Stage 3 GP Costa Azul, Sébastien Chavanel

1st Stage 5 Vuelta al Pais Vasco, Thomas Voeckler

1st Paris-Camembert, Anthony Geslin

1st Trophée des Grimpeurs, Didier Rous

1st Stage 4 4 Jours de Dunkerque, Pierrick Fédrigo

1st Stage 1 Tour de Picardie, Rony Martias

1st Overall Route du Sud, Thomas Voeckler

1st Stage 1, Thomas Voeckler

1st Netherlands, Time Trial Championships, Stef Clement

1st Tour du Doubs, Yoann Le Boulanger

1st Stage 14 Tour de France, Pierrick Fédrigo

1st Overall Paris-Corrèze, Didier Rous

1st Stage 1, Didier Rous

1st Clasica San Sebastian, Xavier Florencio

1st Stage 1 Tour du Limousin, Pierrick Fédrigo

1st Stage 9 Tour de l'Avenir, Stef Clement

1st Paris-Bourges, Thomas Voeckler

3rd Overall 4 Jours de Dunkerque, Didier Rous

3rd Stage 10 Vuelta a España, Xavier Florencio

2007[link]

1st Tro-Bro Léon, Saïd Haddou

1st Trophée des Grimpeurs, Anthony Geslin

1st Stage 2 Tour de Luxembourg, Laurent Brochard

1st Tour du Doubs, Vincent Jérôme

1st  Estonia Road Race Championship, Erki Pütsep

1st  Netherlands Time Trial Championship, Stef Clement

1st Tour du Limousin, Pierrick Fédrigo

1st Tour du Poitou Charentes, Thomas Voeckler

1st GP Ouest-France, Thomas Voeckler

1st Stage 1 Circuit Franco-Belge, Aurélien Clerc

3rd, World Championships, Time Trial, Stef Clement

2008[link]

1st Stage 1 & 4 La Tropicale Amissa Bongo, Rony Martias

1st Overall Étoile de Bessèges, Yury Trofimov

1st Stage 3, Yury Trofimov

1st Stage 1 Tour de Langkawi, Mathieu Sprick

1st Stage 1 Driedaagse van West-Vlaanderen, Aurélien Clerc

1st Overall Tour Ivoirien de la Paix, Rony Martias

1st Stage 1, Sébastien Turgot

1st Overall Circuit de la Sarthe, Thomas Voeckler

1st Stage 4 4 Jours de Dunkerque, Pierrick Fédrigo

1st Stage 4 Volta a Catalunya, Pierrick Fédrigo

1st GP de Plumelec-Morbihan, Thomas Voeckler

1st Stage 5 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, Yury Trofimov

1st Tour du Doubs, Anthony Geslin

1st GP Ouest-France, Pierrick Fédrigo

1st Chrono des Nations, Stef Clement

2nd Gent-Wevelgem, Aurélien Clerc

3rd Paris-Tours, Sébastien Turgot

2009[link]

1st Stage 2 La Tropicale Amissa Bongo, Evgeny Sokolov

1st Stage 4 La Tropicale Amissa Bongo, Johann Tschopp

1st Overall Etoile de Bessèges, Thomas Voeckler

1st Stage 7 Tour de Langkawi, Yohann Gène

1st Overall Tour du Haut Var, Thomas Voeckler

1st Stage 2, Thomas Voeckler

1st Stage 2 Vuelta al Pais Vasco, Yury Trofimov

1st Tro-Bro Léon, Saïd Haddou

1st Trophée des Grimpeurs, Thomas Voeckler

1st Stage 5 4 Jours de Dunkerque, Pierrick Fédrigo

1st Stage 6 Critérium du Dauphiné Libéré, Pierrick Fédrigo

1st Stage 5 Tour de France, Thomas Voeckler

1st Stage 9 Tour de France, Pierrick Fédrigo

2010[link]

1st Overall La Tropicale Amissa Bongo, Anthony Charteau

1st Stage 4, Anthony Charteau

1st Stage 5, Yohann Gène

1st Stage 2 Paris-Nice, William Bonnet

1st Overall Critérium International, Pierrick Fédrigo

1st Stage 1, Pierrick Fédrigo

1st Stage 1 Three Days of De Panne, Steve Chainel

1st Stage 2 Three Days of De Panne, Sébastien Turgot

1st Route Adélie de Vitré, Cyril Gautier

1st Overall Tour de Bretagne, Franck Bouyer

1st Stage 4 Circuit de Lorraine, Pierre Rolland

1st Stage 20 Giro d'Italia, Johann Tschopp

1st Stage 4 Critérium du Dauphiné, Nicolas Vogondy

1st  France Road Race Championships, Thomas Voeckler

1st  France Time Trial Championships, Nicolas Vogondy

1st Stage 15 Tour de France, Thomas Voeckler

1st Stage 16 Tour de France, Pierrick Fédrigo

1st Mountains classification in the Tour de France, Anthony Charteau

1st GP de Québec, Thomas Voeckler

2011[link]

1st Overall La Tropicale Amissa Bongo, Anthony Charteau

1st Stages 2 & 5, Yohann Gène

1st Stage Etoile de Bessèges, Said Haddou

1st Stage 1 Tour Méditerranéen, Thomas Voeckler

1st Overall Tour du Haut Var, Thomas Voeckler

1st Stage 3 Tour of South Africa, Yohann Gène

1st Stages 4 & 8 Paris-Nice, Thomas Voeckler

1st GP Cholet, Thomas Voeckler

1st La Roue Tourangelle, David Veilleux

1st Tro-Bro Léon, Vincent Jérôme

1st Stage 2 Giro del Trentino, Thomas Voeckler

1st Overall 4 Jours de Dunkerque, Thomas Voeckler

1st Stage 4, Thomas Voeckler

1st Stage 2 Circuit de Lorraine, Sébastien Chavanel

1st Stage 5 Critérium du Dauphiné, Christophe Kern

1st Prologue Boucles de la Mayenne, Sébastien Turgot

1st Stage 2 Route du Sud, Anthony Charteau

1st  France Time Trial Championships, Christophe Kern

1st Stage 19 Tour de France, Pierre Rolland

1st Young rider classification in the Tour de France, Pierre Rolland

2012[link]

1st Stage 3 Étoile de Bessèges, Pierre Rolland

1st Overall Tour de Normandie, Jérôme Cousin

1st Stage 2, Jérôme Cousin

1st Brabantse Pijl, Thomas Voeckler

1st Overall La Tropicale Amissa Bongo, Anthony Charteau

1st Stages 1 & 5, Yohann Gène

1st Stage 3, Thomas Voeckler

1st Stage 5 Four Days of Dunkirk, Matteo Pelucchi

1st Stage 3 Rhône-Alpes Isère Tour, Jérôme Cousin

1st Stage 4 Rhône-Alpes Isère Tour, Angelo Tulik

2nd Paris-Roubaix, Sébastien Turgot

Team roster[link]

As of 12 January 2012.^[17]

Rider Date of birth  Yukiya Arashiro (JPN) (1984-09-22) 22 September 1984 (age 27)  Giovanni Bernaudeau (FRA) (1983-08-25) 25 August 1983 (age 28)  Franck Bouyer (FRA) (1974-03-17) 17 March 1974 (age 38)  Anthony Charteau (FRA) (1979-06-04) 4 June 1979 (age 33)  Sébastien Chavanel (FRA) (1981-03-21) 21 March 1981 (age 31)  Rafaâ Chtioui (TUN) (1986-01-26) 26 January 1986 (age 26)  Mathieu Claude (FRA) (1983-03-17) 17 March 1983 (age 29)  Jérôme Cousin (FRA) (1989-06-05) 5 June 1989 (age 23)  Damien Gaudin (FRA) (1986-08-20) 20 August 1986 (age 25)  Cyril Gautier (FRA) (1987-09-26) 26 September 1987 (age 24)  Yohann Gène (FRA) (1981-06-25) 25 June 1981 (age 31)  Saïd Haddou (FRA) (1982-11-23) 23 November 1982 (age 29)  Tony Hurel (FRA) (1987-11-01) 1 November 1987 (age 24)

Rider Date of birth  Vincent Jérôme (FRA) (1984-11-26) 26 November 1984 (age 27)  Christophe Kern (FRA) (1981-01-18) 18 January 1981 (age 31)  Davide Malacarne (ITA) (1987-07-11) 11 July 1987 (age 24)  Matteo Pelucchi (ITA) (1989-01-21) 21 January 1989 (age 23)  Alexandre Pichot (FRA) (1983-01-06) 6 January 1983 (age 29)  Perrig Quemeneur (FRA) (1984-04-26) 26 April 1984 (age 28)  Kévin Reza (FRA) (1988-05-18) 18 May 1988 (age 24)  Pierre Rolland (FRA) (1986-10-10) 10 October 1986 (age 25)  Björn Thurau (GER) (1988-07-23) 23 July 1988 (age 23)  Angelo Tulik (FRA) (1990-12-02) 2 December 1990 (age 21)  Sébastien Turgot (FRA) (1984-04-11) 11 April 1984 (age 28)  David Veilleux (CAN) (1987-11-26) 26 November 1987 (age 24)  Thomas Voeckler (FRA) (1979-06-22) 22 June 1979 (age 33)

See also[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Team Europcar  or Bbox Bouygues Télécom

• List of teams and cyclists in the 2008 Tour de France
• 2008 Tour de France
• Tour de France

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website

Louis Garneau

Personal information
Full name	Louis Garneau
Born	(1958-08-09) August 9, 1958 (age 53)  Canada
Team information
Discipline	Road
Role	Rider
Infobox last updated on 18 December 2007

Louis Garneau, OC, CQ (born August 9, 1958, Quebec City, Quebec) is a Canadian road racing and track cyclist and cyclewear manufacturer. He is probably best known for putting his arm around Elizabeth II (breaking royal protocol) and having his photo taken.

Garneau said: "I asked for a picture and she said 'no problem', so I just put my arm around her shoulder. In sport, we do that all the time. The Queen said, 'I remember you—you were a cyclist—I hope business is good now'."^[1] Garneau was the second person known to have placed his arm around the Queen for a photograph, the first being Paul Keating, who was afterwards dubbed the "Lizard of Oz" by the British media.

Garneau was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1999 and a Knight of the National Order of Quebec in 1997.

References[link]

External links[link]

• Louis Garneau's website
• BBC article about the photograph of Garneau and the Queen

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