One of the big revelations of the 2014 season, Alexis Vuillermoz, finished 11th in the Giro d'Italia while working for Domenico Pozzovivo. This week he is already back in the action and yesterday he animated the queen stage of the Route du Sud.

Having had a solid first professional season at Sojasun, Alexis Vuillermoz joined Ag2r for the 2014 season and the young Frenchman has had a fantastic introduction to the WorldTour racing. In March, he was the key domestique that helped Carlos Betancur win Paris-Nice overall and in May he made a very strong impression in the Giro d'Italia where he finished 11th overall despite doing a lot of work to support Domenico Pozzovivo.

This week he is making his comeback in the Route du Sud and yesterday he was a key protagonist in the queen stage that included the mythical climbs of the Col du Tourmalet and Col d'Aspin before a mountaintop finish in Val-Louron. Vuillermoz was part of the early break and escaped on his own on the Aspin before being reeled in by the favourites at the bottom of the final climb.

“I was a bit afraid of my feelings and my physical condition after the Giro," he said. "I was a little reassured by the first stage yesterday. I was not in top shape but I felt that the potential was there. I recovered well and I knew this morning that I had to seize my chance without questioning.

"We were a lot of riders in the breakaway but the group was not really homogenous and I decided to try my luck from distance with Jérôme Cousin. When I found myself alone at the front, I was aware that it would be long and difficult, especially with a bunch in full pursuit. But even though it was going to be complicated, it was better to do the best that I could.