TotalEnergies are having a strong season, despite the mishaps that have affected it's leaders Pierre Latour and Peter Sagan. Today at the Critérium du Dauphiné they've reached another objective, as Alexis Vuillermoz stormed to the stage win and race lead.
"A year ago, I fractured my pelvis, I was even afraid for my life. It's amazing. After two years of hardship I could have stopped my career, but despite everything, I wanted to come back," a thrilled Vuillermoz said in a post-race interview. A stage winner at the Tour de France, aswell as many other achievements throughout his career, the 34-year old had been away from the top step for over three years, which included a serious injury last season.
He's shown the potential over the season, namely finishing in the Top10 of Flèche Wallone, however it all clicked today. Despite not being able to make the difference on the climbs where he thrives, Vuillermoz managed to collaborate well enough with the day's breakaway into success, and took an impressive win in a sprint where he wasn't expected to be able to win - specially in such scenario. "All that was missing was the victory. This is the icing on the cake," pointed out emotionally.
He detailed the final sprint: "The sprint was a bit messy. I saw Olivier launch the sprint from very far away at 300 meters, he opened a small gap. I didn't think I would be able to come back, but I saw that he got stuck a little bit at the 50 meters." With the time difference over the peloton, he also managed to take on the yellow jersey, and will be leading the race overnight.
Tomorrow he will be defending his lead on the Massif Central, a hard task but a possible one for the Frenchman on the slopes of the climb to Sancy.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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Front24208-11-2026 - On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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VICTOIRE D’ALEXIS VUILLERMOZ !!!!!!!!!! MAGNIFIQUE 🤩 #Dauphiné
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