Cyclo-cross racer Amandine Fouquenet to race on the road for AG Insurance-Soudal

We currently know Amandine Fouquenet mainly as a cyclocross rider, but the 25-year-old Frenchwoman will also be seen wearing the AG Insurance-Soudal kit for the remainder of the road season. This was announced today by the Belgian WorldTeam. She will make her debut for the team this Friday at the Bretagne Ladies Tour (May 29-31).

This news had been in the making for some time. When Fouquenet moved to cyclocross team Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw, she already expressed a desire to continue racing on the road, but Jurgen Mettepenningen’s squad does not have its own road team or a fixed partnership with a road team.

"We have an agreement with AG Insurance-Soudal for Leonie Bentveld through Jurgen Fore, and we were going to see if that would also be possible for Fouquenet," Mettepenningen hinted at the time. Now this is confirmed, so Fouquenet can race the rest of the road season representing AG Insurance-Soudal.

Team spirit 
"I am extremely excited and happy to be part of such a great team. Team spirit is very important to me, and I already know this team fits me perfectly, especially because of our shared mentality," Fouquenet said enthusiastically.

"I look forward to supporting the girls as best as I can during races, helping the team reach their goals, and, when the opportunity arises, to seize my own chances and hopefully one day raise my arms in victory on the road. I want to thank the team for their trust, and I can’t wait to pin my first race numbers in these new colors."

"We are very happy to welcome Amandine to AG Insurance-Soudal," added team manager Jurgen Foré. "She is a rider with a fantastic mentality, a strong work ethic, and someone who fits perfectly with the values and culture of our team. Amandine will already strengthen our lineup this Friday at the Bretagne Ladies Tour, and we look forward to seeing her grow within our WorldTour environment in the coming months."

Mettepenningen hopes to 'reap the benefits'
Mettepenningen also spoke: "This collaboration between AG Insurance-Soudal and Pauwels Sauzen-Altez Industriebouw is an important asset for the further development of Amandine Fouquenet and Leonie Bentveld in both road racing and cyclocross. I am convinced that we will reap the benefits of this cooperation in the coming winter."