Alpecin Phoenix announced Tuesday that it has renewed the contract of 32-year-old Julien Vermote.

Vermort, who had been looking for contacts for more than six months after Cofidis failed to keep him, was thrown a lifeline by the pro team in March after contracting COVID-19 and then toxoplasmosis, which made it impossible for him to race for Alpecin Phoenix.

Vermote began his seven-season career with Quick Step in 2011, working for the team in classics and grand tours; he moved to Dimension Data in 2018 and then to Cofidis two seasons later.

In late 2020, Cofidis told him they weren't going to keep him, but he was determined to find a new team. This time last year, he traveled to Spain at his own expense for two training camps in hopes of maintaining his form and eventually winning a contract. The Alpecin Phoenix signed him to a contract in late March, when the season had already begun.

"It was a very strange year. First of all, I was without a team, but I kept focused and always hoped to find one again," Vermote said in a team press release. 'It wasn't an easy time as a cyclist and it was really tough mentally because I had to stay focused on what I was doing. So I was very happy when I was able to sign with Alpecin Phoenix."

But before he could race with the team, he ran into health problems that kept him out of competition for the rest of the year.

"I went to Italy in May for a private training camp, and when I came back a few weeks later, I was basically ready to race, but it turned out I had COVID-19 infection. A blood test revealed that I also had toxoplasmosis, which made it even worse. It was the worst possible combination. I felt the physical effects for quite a while. But it was also mentally tough, harder than the months I was away from the team."

"I really hoped I could resume racing, but I couldn't. I was really exhausted. I couldn't recover as much as I wanted to. At first I couldn't even train. I rested a little bit, and then I started to increase the intensity of my training again, but it didn't work out. The weeks flew by. I wanted to be able to race again, but it was impossible. Then in August, the team decided to rest me for next year and let me recover from the infection.

Vermote is not the first rider to contract the parasite Toxoplasma gondii. Most people do not show symptoms, but some (especially those with compromised immune systems) may experience flu-like symptoms and fatigue. Italy's Fabio Ferrigne and Colombia's Jarlinson Pantano were infected with the parasite in 2018, while Frenchmen Jeremy Roy, Romain Faillou, Sylvain Casati, and Cyril Dessel and Spaniard Igor Astarloa are off their bikes due to the parasite

"I am really grateful to the team for giving me the time I need to recover. I needed this rest period before resuming training in mid-October. Training camp is going well. I feel that my future is in the hands of the team. The team gave me a one-year extension. They continued to believe in my qualities and dedication. I really appreciate it. I don't think many teams would do the same."

Vermote was disappointed that he did not race this year, but said he made the right decision to take a break and is now in good spirits and attending the team's training camp in Benicàsim, Spain.

"I'm happy to be here. I've been looking forward to it since August when I found out I wouldn't be able to race this year. That's a long time, but I knew December was coming soon. I was really looking forward to this training camp. I am very eager to run with them and after all that experience, I am very happy to be part of the team again. That's the most important thing. Of course, I still have ambitions. It hasn't gone away. I want to race and help my teammates. I'm not doing this just to be a professional cyclist. A lot has happened for that."