Mikael Cherel
"One of the classics for climbers
"I'm currently in good shape. I did a high-altitude training camp at Etna (Italy) with Aurélien Paret Peintre to prepare for the Ardennaises and the Giro d'Italia.
On Wednesday, we gave our best in the Flèche Wallonne but the fact that we were without our leader, Benoït Cosnefroy, had an impact on our race.
I will be racing Liège-Bastogne-Liège for the 14th time on Sunday. It is one of the rare classics for climbers, with steep climbs like the Redoute or the Roche aux Faucons. This year, it will be even more difficult with the return of the Côte des Forges. I have good memories there, with Romain Bardet's third place in 2018, or, in 2022, a day protecting Benoït who was still in my wheel until the foot of the Redoute. For a teammate, it's a real satisfaction.
Benoît Cosnefroy will be at the start of the Doyenne and that changes the situation. With him but also Ben O'Connor, Aurélien Paret Peintre and Clément Berthet, we have a great team and we want to achieve a good result.
Julien Jurdie
"Perform with a balanced group"
"We approach the last part of the Ardennaises with a renewed team with the arrival of Aurélien Paret-Peintre, Ben O'Connor and Clément Berthet. Benoît Cosnefroy will be back after his bronchitis. We hope to perform with a balanced group. The hardened final this year favors the strong men. We hope that with boldness we will have the ability to be in the game."
95
The number
On Friday, the riders team of AG2R CITROËN recognized the last 95 kilometers of Liège-Bastogne-Liège from Petit Thier.
