AG2R La Mondiale announced that it has renewed the contract of 31-year-old Alexis Vuillermos, the 2015 Tour de France stage winner. The Frenchman said he was impressed by the trust placed in him by the team.

Vuillermoz won the Royal Bernard Drome Classic in 2019 and led AG2R La Mondiale in the Giro d'Italia. He broke his kneecap in a training accident last August and has not raced since finishing 41st in last year's Tour de France.

"I am touched by this sign of confidence shown by Vincent Lavenu and the AG2R La Mondiale staff. I have come out of two complicated seasons," Vuillermoz said in a press release. [I broke my kneecap in August and have not raced since the end of the Tour de France last July; I was looking forward to resuming the season in the Volta a Catalunya in March, but of course the pandemic prevented that. Despite this, the team trusted me and signed me up for an additional season. [I have been a part of the team for six years and have watched them grow and evolve, so I am proud and happy to be able to continue this adventure. [He crashed at Tirreno-Adriatico last March and injured his hamstring; in 2018, he broke his shoulder in a crash at the Tour de France and dropped out before stage 10; in 2017, he broke his spine in a car accident; in 2016, he crashed during the Amstel Gold Race and suffered a head injured his head in a crash during the Amstel Gold Race in 2016. But perhaps his strangest fall was when he suffered an asthma attack and fell into a ravine at Mortirolo in last year's Giro d'Italia.

Team manager Vincent Lavenu said Vuillermoz is a rider you can count on.

"Alexis is a good guy and even if the last two seasons are interrupted by injuries, we can count on his strength, punch, and swagger. He's been wearing our colors since 2014 and is one of the riders who embodies the soul of the team. We are happy to continue our adventure with him," said Lavenu.

Vuillermoz said he hopes the Tour de France will be held and that he is aiming to be selected for the AG2R La Mondiale team, which has been moved from August 29 to September 20.

"I am happy to resume the season. There were times when I thought it would end up being a blank season, so to participate in the Tour de France in August will be a strong signal for our sport and for our country as a whole. I sincerely hope to be able to participate."