Ag2r-La Mondiale boss Vincent Lavenu has admitted he is as surprised as anyone to see Carlos Betancur going so well in ‘The Race to the Sun”, Paris-Nice. He is not surprised to see him win two stage or lead the race going into the final stage, saying he believed he has the ability to do such things, but he is surprised to see the Colombian winning so early in the season.

“He had some family problems, and he started the season late, and he’s clearly overweight right now,” Lavenu said Saturday after Betancur defended yellow. “We are not surprised to see him posting results, because that is what we expect of him, but we are surprised to see him winning so early. He’s clearly not yet in top shape.”

Betancur is 60kg exactly, but has said he is four or five kilos overweight.

He is aiming to be in peak condition for the Ardennes Classics and the Tour de France.

“He already demonstrated last season he can be with the best riders in the world,” Lavenu continued. “He has an interesting future. He clearly has the motor and he’s very ambitious. He is a classic puncheur. He reminds me a bit of Joaquim Rodríguez.”

Lavenu insists there is no pressure for him to succeed in the Tour, as there is no pressure on the team.

“He wants to race and gain results, but we are not putting too much pressure on him,” Lavenu said. “He will be our co-leader, along with Jean-Christophe Peraud, so maybe he can win the white jersey or win a stage. The big question mark is how he handles the heat. We know from the Giro he does well in the cold, and he can get up the long climbs with the best. A top-five [on GC] could be realistic.”

Betancur must survive one hilly day in order to be crowned the winner of Paris-Nice. He is currently 14 seconds clear of Rui Costa and 26 seconds clear of Zdenek Stybar.