The AG2R-La Mondiale team will field virtually an-all French team for the Tour de France, but there will be no place for experienced Italian rider Rinaldo Nocentini who led the race in 2009.

   "We have never had so many French riders," said team manager Vincent Lavenu. "There will be eight and a half," he added, in reference to Ireland's Nicolas Roche, who is half French. It's hard for Nocentini to stay focused in a race for three weeks," he said about his Italian rider, who will go to the Tour of Poland in July.

   Nocentini was left out of the nine-man squad despite having held the yellow jersey for eight stages in the 2009 Tour.
   
   AG2R team for the Tour de France:
   Maxime Bouet (FRA), Mickael Cherel (FRA), Hubert Dupont (FRA), Blel Kadri (FRA), Sébastien Minard (FRA), Lloyd Mondory (FRA), Jean-Christophe Péraud (FRA), Christophe Riblon (FRA), Nicolas Roche (IRL).

Photo: Bettini