Aurélien Paret-Peintre
"My best World Tour result".
"It's a great performance, it's my best result in the mountains in the UCI World Tour. I have nothing to be ashamed of. It bodes well for the rest of this Paris-Nice. I was really good all day. My teammates did a great job. Mikaël (Cherel) rode very hard and placed me well. I managed to get out of the chasing group on the flat area in the final. I am really happy with this fourth place. From now on, the goal will be to climb in the general classification to get another top 10. We know that Saturday's stage will be a hill climb to the Col de la Couillole but on Friday and Sunday there could be more opportunities. Going for a stage win by the end of this Paris-Nice would be nice too. "
Vincent Lavenu
"This bodes well for the future.
"We knew that Aurelien had good legs. To think that he could do fourth today was daring but it proves that he is in very good shape. He has worked well. This puts him back in the general standings and suggests good things for the rest of this Paris-Nice. We had chosen to put someone at the front if a group of four or five riders left. Larry (Warbasse) played it well. Behind, the team did a great job for our leader. It was a great day for the AG2R CITROËN team.
The news
News from the injured riders of the AG2R CITROËN team
Serge Niamke, AG2R CITROËN team doctor, gives news of the riders team's convalescence.
Victim of a crash in the second stage of the Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var, Franck Bonnamour has undergone additional examinations which revealed a fracture of the right foot. The Breton rider of the AG2R CITROËN team is unavailable for 4 weeks. A check-up will be carried out at the end of March to decide whether or not to resume training.
Nicolas Prodhomme, who underwent surgery on February 1 for a fractured right clavicle after a crash during the Grand Prix Cycliste La Marseillaise, is back in training. The 26-year-old rider is taking part in the AG2R CITROËN team's training camp from March 6 to 11 on the Costa Brava (Spain). A return to competition is envisaged after this one.
Antoine Raugel underwent surgery on the iliac artery in his left leg on January 3 and is now back on the bike. Also in training from March 6 to 11 on the Costa Brava (Spain) with the AG2R CITROËN team, the Alsatian should resume racing in April.
Suffering from a tendinitis of the left knee since January, Marc Sarreau has resumed training. The date of his return to competition is not yet determined.
Damien Touzé, victim of a fall during Le Samyn, suffered a trauma with a contusion of the left knee requiring functional physiotherapy for 15 days. He should resume competition at the Grand Prix de Denain (March 16).
16
The number
Ben O'Connor is 16th overall after the first three stages of Tirreno - Adriatico.
"It wasn't necessarily a stage for me today with the side wind at the end but I was able to respond by being in the first group. Even if everything went back to normal and there was no difference, it's always better to be in front than behind.
That start of the Tirreno - Adriatico was very nervous, you had to be lucky. I hope that when it gets a little more hilly over the next three days, it will be a little less stressful and I'll be able to get some good results," said O'Connor.
Victim of digestive problems since Tuesday evening with an inability to eat, Valentin Paret-Peintre was forced to abandon the 3rd stage of Tirreno - Adriatico.
