Julien Bérard

Born in Paris, Bérard recorded his first notable result in July 2005 when he won the third stage of the junior edition of the Tour du Valromey.[2] In another stage during that same stage race he finished in second position. In 2008 he started as a stagiaire for the Ag2r–La Mondiale team. His first top-three spot he claimed in the Tour des Pays de Savoie where he finished in second position in stage 3, but also managed to claim the same second spot in the general classification.[1] In the Tour de la Creuse he managed to finish in third position in the second stage, but he also claimed the victory in the general classification standings for that race.[1] His first real road race win at senior level was a win in the second stage of the Tour du Gévaudan Languedoc-Roussillon with the finish in Mende.[1]

Bérard maintained his spot at Chambéry CF for the 2009 season in which he claimed his first victory on 28 March, when he finished 32 seconds in front of the runner-up at the Grand Prix Saint-Etienne Loire.[3] In the Tour du Perigord - A Travers les Bastides he became third and he won the third stage of the under-23 edition of the Ronde de l'Isard.[1] That result was followed by two second places in the first stage of the Tour des Pays de Savoie and the Mi-Aout Bretonne. In that last race he also claimed the third spot in the general classifications.[1] In the Tour de l'Avenir he booked his biggest success as an amateur, by winning the first stage of the "Race of the future" in Dreux, France, while Romain Sicard and Dennis van Winden were the first riders to cross the finish line after Bérard.[4] Not only was this his biggest success as an amateur, it was also the last time he was performing as such.

Ag2r–La Mondiale offered him a professional contract for the 2010 season, in which he struggled to come up with some top-three results. His best results of that season were accomplished during the La Tropicale Amissa Bongo race in Gabon. Here he finished fifth in the second stage, seventh in the fourth stage and sixth in the general classification.[1] In 2011 Bérard made his debut in one of the grand tours when he was called up for the 2011 Giro d'Italia. Without any serious race winning attempts Bérard managed to complete the prestigious stage race with finish in Milan and a 122nd place in the general classification of the race.[5] During the French national road cycling championship in Boulogne-sur-Mer, Bérard finished in fourth position behind Sylvain Chavanel, Anthony Roux and Thomas Voeckler.[6] Later on he took a third spot in the Tour du Doubs to finish the 2011 season.[1]

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• Julien Bérard at Cycling Archives