Dillier signs three-year deal with AG2R La Mondiale

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AG2R La Mondiale announced the signing of 27-year-old Swiss rider Silvan Dillier for three years. Dillier will join the squad after starting his pro career with four straight seasons with the BMC Racing Team.

Dillier, the Swiss road champion, won a stage of the Giro d'Italia this year, as well as the Route du Sud overall, points and mountains classifications. He was also part of BMC's TTT world championship winning teams in 2014 and 2015. Dillier further bolsters the AG2R La Mondiale team with other new signings Clément Venturini and Tony Gallopin.

"I have a certain acquaintance with the team since I spent some time at the Chambéry Cyclisme Formation, the team's training center, in 2010," Dillier said. "Mathias Frank told me that the team was looking for a rider of my profile, and that the whole team is really interesting, well-structured and with a healthy mentality."

After meeting with general manager Vincent Lavenu, Dillier felt his impressions were confirmed.

"This is a very good project, and personally, I will be able to take advantage of some opportunities in good races. The prospect of racing for Romain Bardet on stage races or Oliver Naesen in the classics is very motivating. I am also delighted to be on the same team with Romain Bardet and Axel Domont, with whom I also attended the CCF. I am very happy to have had the great seasons I spent with BMC, which gave me the chance to reach another level in my career."

Lavenu has been keeping his eye on Dillier since seeing him come through the CCF and called the Swiss "a versatile rider, an excellent rider, who was part of the BMC team time trial backbone, which is not an easy thing to do.

"He is a rider still with a lot of potential; he will bring his strengths and contribute to the development of the team. He will be a co-leader in some spring Classics."