Alexis Vuillermoz has suffered a car accident, his team AG2R-La Mondiale announced. The cyclist will be out of competition for at least a month.

The 28-year-old Frenchman fractured his first lumbar vertebrae, according to Dr. Eric Bouvat who conducted an MRI.

Vuillermoz, who won a stage at the 2015 Tour de France and finished 20th in last year’s edition of the race, was set to be part of the team for the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana but will now be replaced by Mikael Cherel.

“Having this happen at the beginning of the season, it is important to remain optimistic,” the rider commented. “I was looking forward to racing again at the Valenciana. But it is now more important to take good care of my back injury so that I don’t risk ruining the rest of my season.”