The younger brother of Vacansoleil-DCM rider Romain, Feillu rose to prominence with an impressive stage win in the 2009 Tour de France whilst riding for French squad Agritubel before he signed for Vacansoleil last year, although he only spent one season at the Dutch team.
He was signed by Leopard-Trek for its inaugural and only season as an independent outfit but the presence of both Schleck brothers meant his chances of riding the Tour in 2011 were limited.
He rode the Giro d’Italia but failed to impress and the move to the Pro Conti ranks is an indication of his poor fortunes in 2011.
French daily La Nouvelle Republique reports that Feillu was brought into Saur-Sojasun’s ranks to assist leader Jerome Coppel, who finished 14th overall in this year’s Tour – after the French squad was given a wildcard entry – and showed promise for a top 10 performance in the future.
He’s yet another rider left in difficult circumstances following the merger between RadioShack and Leopard-Trek, with Australian Will Clarke recently announced as signing for Pro Conti outfit Champion Systems for 2012.
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