After two years with the Garmin-Sharp team, Frenchman Christophe Le Mével is set to return to competing with a team from his home country following the news that he has signed a contract with Cofidis.
The 31 year old has inked a deal to race there in 2013 and 2014, heading back to France after previously racing with Crédit Agricole between 2002 and 2008 and FDJ in 2009 and 2010.
He was tenth in the 2009 Tour de France, and won the Tour du Haut Var the following season. His best results with the Garmin setup were ninth in the 2011 Flèche Wallonne, fifteenth in last year’s Vuelta and fourth in the recent Clásica de San Sebastián
Le Mevel was thought to be frustrated to miss both the Giro and the Tour this year, although he has been included in the Garmin-Sharp squad for the Vuelta a España.
His signing has been confirmed by a number of French media sites.
Earlier this week he confirmed that he was moving, although he did not give specifics then. “My future team will be unveiled Saturday ... It will be a French team,” he told RMC. “I went to Garmin to see how it is abroad. I did it, I'm glad to have done it. I regret nothing. To return to France was my desire, and I am delighted to do so.”
The Cofidis team is trying to build up its ranks for 2013. Thus far it has announced signing Jerome Coppel (Saur-Sojasun) and Daniel Navarro (Saxo Bank Tinkoff Bank).