Jean Delatour: A sign of destiny?

France

In the peloton since 2000
Sponsor: Jewelry store chain
Budget: $2.6 million
Manager: Serge Barle
Directeur sportif: Michel Gros
Assistants: Jean-Luc Jonrond, Patrick Perret

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Riders (as of June 30)
AUGÉ Stéphane  (F),   December 6, 1974
BERNARD Jerome (F)
BROCHARD Laurent  (F),   March 26, 1968
DESSEL Cyril   (F),   November 29, 1974
EDALEINE Christophe (F),   November 1, 1979
GOUBERT Stéphane  (F),   March 13, 1970
HALGAND Patrice  (F),   March 2, 1974
LEFèVRE Laurent  (F),   July 2, 1976
SEIGNEUR Eddy  (F),   February 15, 1969

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A sign of destiny?
The Jean Delatour team had resigned itself to not riding the 2002 Tourand expected many days of disillusionment after its non-selection in earlyMay. Then, proving that an ethical attitude can pay off, the team did notstop working hard and even won some significant victories before a reversalof the decision came in early June — the Saeco squad’s invitation was withdrawnbecause of its leader Gilberto Simoni’s involvement in two cases of drugabuse. Laurent Brochard returned to form with a stage win at the Midi Libre;Laurent Lefèvre won two one-day races in the Coupe de France series;and Patrice Halgand won a stage of the Four Days of Dunkirk. The Delatourriders’ ascendant form makes them candidates to win a stage at the Tour.
 TEAM WINS2001
BROCHARD: Paris-Camembert; Circuit de la Sarthe, one stage;GP de Villers-Cotterêts.
HALGAND: Circuit de l’Aulne; Regio Tour, two stage and overall;Critérium International, one stage.
GABROWSKI: Tour du Limousin, one stage; Tour de l’Ain; Tourdu Poitou-Charentes, one stage.
ORIOL: Tour de l’Ain, one stage.
ROUX: Route du Sud, one stage
BERNARD: Midi Libre, one stage
SEIGNEUR: Circuit des Mines, one stage (TT)2002
LEFÈVRE: Across Morbihan; GP de Villers-Cotterêts
BROCHARD: Midi Libre, one stage
HALGAND: Four Days of Dunkirk, one stage
AUGÉ: Tour of Germany, one stageINTERVIEW
Michel Gros, directeur sportif:
“It’s an enormous satisfaction to be at the start of the Tour. A satisfaction,but also a just recompense — even if our good results were late in coming.Two years ago, we had an electric shock on not getting selected. Last year,we had Patrice Halgand in the best climber’s jersey for a few days, andtoday I couldn’t be happier. Despite the injuries to Bouvard and Seigneur,we have strong hopes with Brochard, Lefèvre and Halgand. I saidthat we would be ready, and we will be. We will look at several stagesbefore the Tour, especially the team time trial course. It’ll be necessaryto be very strong. A stage victory would be incredible for us, but to wearone of the leader jerseys — and why not the yellow, even for one day —would be a great reward. We will honor our selection.”