Blel Kadri

Blel Kadri (born 3 September 1986) is a French professional road racing cyclist, who currently rides for UCI ProTeam AG2R La Mondiale. He is of Algerian descent. In March 2013, Kadri won the Roma Maxima, a newly revived race formerly known as the Giro del Lazio. He was part of the early breakaway which formed after the first hour of racing, and shook off his fellow escapees until he was alone with 40 km (24.9 mi) to go. He managed to resist to the peloton's onslaught and triumphed in Rome. On 12 July 2014, he achieved his biggest success, winning his first stage victory in the Tour de France. Also on this stage he won the Most Combative Rider award for the second time during the 2014 Tour de France and held the King of the Mountains jersey. Shortly after the stage, whilst receiving treatment from his Soigneur, Kadri received a text message of congratulations from the President of France, Francois Hollande. The text was followed by a call from a withheld number, again it was the President to offer his congratulations.