JULIEN ANTOMARCHI

• France
• Age: 28
• Professional Since 2009

With 11 top-10 finishes in 2011, including a stage win at Haut Var, Julien is poised to leap onto the podium in 2012. He is a strong climber and will appear in 2012 French calendar races.

Julien, who stagiaired with Skil-SHimano and flushed out of the D3 bushes of La Pomme Marseille into full flight last year at Haut Var, with a punchy attack that drew out perennial TdF charmer Tommy Voeckler and brought the French fans to their heckling feet. Tommy knew the score and let Antomarchi, who had been doing all the elbows and knees in the two-man fight that brought them to the finish, graciously accept the win. Some die-hards miffed, downput that the French Cup classic Haut Var was shown by National Champion Voeckler to be a lesser race than the very real Tour de France in July, but in the end a win is a win is a win, and Antomarchi will win this year with Sanofi silkscreened across his chest.

2011 HIGHLIGHTS

• 1st St2 Tour du Haut Var, FRA
• 2nd GC Tour du Haut Var, FRA
• 2nd GC Cinturo de l'Emporda, ESP
• 2nd St1 Cinturo de l'Emporda, ESP
• 3rd Paris-Camembert, FRA
• 4th GP Kanton Aargau-Gippingen, SUI
• 6th St2 Volta a Portugal, POR
• 7th Duo Normand, FRA
• 8th St9 Volta a Portugal, POR
• 8th Prueba Villafranca de Ordizia, ESP
• 9th GP d'Ouverture La Marseillaise