"I worked well throughout the winter and I’m in a good place. The Tour de la Provence is a race that I know well. The past few years, the course has changed, and it is more difficult for me to go for the overall, like in 2016 (3rd). Nevertheless, we will have a strong team and with the stages on the program, there are great things to do. I hope to step it up a notch to tackle the Boucles Drôme-Ardèche weekend well, which are two races that I have already won. Then I’ll head to my first UCI WorldTour races of the year with the Strade Bianche and Tirreno-Adriatico," Calmejane said regarding his near ambitions.
With the overall likely to be decided in the final stage up to Montagne du Lure, the team carries several options besides Calmejane, such as Paret-Peintre who's been steadily improving into a quality stage-racer over the last few years and also
Geoffrey Bouchard who's taken the KOM jersey at the Giro d'Italia last year and finished a decent 14th place in the Vuelta a España. The team also has
Andrea Vendrame at the startline, who should be targeting the flatter stages with special consideration to the slightly hilly finale in Manosque.
AG2R Citroën Team for Tour de la Provence: Aurelien Paret-Peintre, Geoffrey Bouchard, Lilian Calmejane, Lawrence Naesen, Nicholas Prodhomme, Andrea Vendrame and Antoine Raugel.