Warren Barguil will remain at Arkéa-Samsic until the end of the 2022 season after agreeing a contract extension with the team. The French champion placed 10th overall at this year's Tour de France.
"He still had a year left on his contract with us, but on both sides, we preferred to work in the long-term and build together," Arkéa-Samsic manager Emmanuel Hubert said in a statement released by the team.
Barguil arrived at Arkéa-Samsic (then Fortuneo-Samsic) ahead of the 2018 season after extricating himself from his contract at Sunweb. The Breton had enjoyed a sparkling 2017 Tour, winning two stages and the king of the mountains title, as well as placing 10th overall in Paris, but he struggled to replicate that form in his first season on his new team.
After breaking his pelvis at the Volta a Catalunya in March, Barguil returned to action in time to claim the French title at La Haye-Fouassière. He admitted afterwards that he had considered quitting cycling, but the maillot tricolore inspired him to a solid 2019 Tour, where he was consistently on the offensive.
"The first year wasn't the easiest. When I raced abroad, I didn't have media pressure, but I learned how to grow along with the team," Barguil said.
After serving as Arkéa-Samsic's leader at the Tour in his first two seasons at the team, Barguil will now have to dovetail his efforts with those of new arrival Nairo Quintana, who joins from Movistar in 2020.
"We can count on two big leaders in the mountains," said Hubert, who maintained that Barguil could target the GC in Grand Tours in the future.
Barguil, for his part, stated that he welcomed the acquisition of Quintana. "It's a definite asset for the team, but for me as well," Barguil said.
"He has already won two Grand Tours, he knows how to prepare himself and to take on such a specific exercise as the general classification. From this point of view, he brings an enormous amount to the team."
