Bouygues Télécom (cycling team)

Infobox Cycling team
teamname = Bouygues Télécom


code = BTL
base = FRA
founded = 2005
disbanded =
manager = Jean-René Bernaudeau
teammanager =
discipline = Road
status = ProTour
season = 2000–2002
2003–2004
2005–
oldname = Bonjour
Brioches La Boulangère
Bouygues Télécom
kit

Bouygues Télécom (UCI code|BTL) is a professional road bicycle racing team that competes on the UCI ProTour. Its sponsor, Bouygues Télécom, is a French mobile phone company. In previous years, the team was known as Brioches La Boulangère and Bonjour.

History

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.

Current formation

In 2000, the team again became a professional team Bonjour, still under the control of the sporting director Bernardeau. 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 wearing French national champion and became a national hero.

The team competes mainly in French races and has had a near-monopoly of the national championship for several years. Chavanel left the team in 2005 to join Cofidis.

Major results

;2007
* 1st, GP Ouest-France, Thomas Voeckler
* 1st, Tro Bro Léon (UCI 1.1), Saïd Haddou
* 1st, Young Rider classification, Tour of Qatar, Alexandre Pichot
* 1st, Mountains classification, Tour de Romandie, Laurent Brochard;2008
* 1st, Étoile de Bessèges, Iouri Trofimov

Team roster

As of December 26, 2007. [cite web| url=http://www.uciprotour.com/Modules/SUCI/TEAMS/TeamDetails.asp?id=OQ&RefDate=01.01.2008&MenuId=MTY5Ng&BackLink=%2Ftemplates%2FUCI%2FUCI2%2Flayout%2Easp%3FMenuId%3DMTY5Ng |title=Bouygues Telecom - Riders |accessdate=2007-12-26 |publisher=UCI ]

ee also

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

References

External links

*Official|http://www.equipebouyguestelecom.fr/