(Montreal, PQ) November 19, 2002 – Team RONA is proud to announce that French cycling champion Magali Le Floc'h will join the team in 2003.

At 27, Magali Le Floc'h is one of the best road racers in France and currently first in the French Cycling Federation's national standings. Despite a season curtailed by her studies and a training injury, Magali won the 2002 National Championships and earned excellent results at the Tour de l'Aude (15th in GC, three stage podiums) and the Trophèe d'Or (8th in GC), as well as taking seventh place in the Zolder World Championships. She won the Coupe de France in 2001 and distinguished herself with a GC victory and a stage win in the 2001 Tour de la DrÙme, stage wins in the 2000 Tour de l'Aude and Tour de Bretagne, and a sixth place in the Sydney Olympic Games. Originally from Meaux, just east of Paris, Magali now lives near Reims and was the Champagne Ardennes regional Champion from 1998 to 2001.

Magali has been involved in competitive cycling since 1990, when she earned her first victories as a cadette. This year she finished her degree in sports training at the National Institute of Sports and Physical Education (INSEP), where she has taken up a teaching position instructing young trainers.

Throughout her career, the tall, slim cyclist (5' 10″, 128 lbs.) has raced almost exclusively under her national colors. She is enthusiastic about joining Team RONA. “It was my friend Catherine Marsal who first made contact with RONA's team manager Andrè Aubut,” said Magali, who has raced only once in North America, at the HP Women's Challenge in 1999 (won by Jeannie Longo). “Of course, I had heard of Geneviève Jeanson – I saw her race at the Sydney Games and at the Fleche Wallonne in 2000. I had also seen Melissa Holt race at Zolder. I can't wait to meet my new teammates. And I'm really excited about racing in Montreal – I hear the ambiance is fantastic!”

“Magali will add even more depth to the team for 2003,” team manager Andrè Aubut added with great satisfaction. “She's an excellent sprinter, but she can also climb reasonably well. So she'll contribute to the team's success in several ways. And she's now a mature racer, so her experience will be a great asset. On paper, the 2003 edition of Team RONA is the strongest in our short history. I'm raring for the season to get under way so we can see how it will all play out on the road!”

Team RONA is one of only two Canadian women's cycling teams in the Elite category recognized by the International Cycling Union.