Description
April 7, 2026
72nd Région Pays de la Loire Tour 2026 🇫🇷 (2.Pro) ME – Stage 1 – Fontevraud-l’Abbaye – Vertou : 187,5 km
Classified as a 2.Pro event by the UCI,
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April 7, 2026
72nd Région Pays de la Loire Tour 2026 🇫🇷 (2.Pro) ME – Stage 1 – Fontevraud-l’Abbaye – Vertou : 187,5 km
Classified as a 2.Pro event by the UCI, the Région Pays de la Loire Tour is a prominent multi-day stage race held in the western region of France. The competition typically unfolds over several days of racing across a variety of terrains, ranging from windswept coastal roads to undulating inland sections and technical urban circuits. While often favoring sprinters and punchy finishers, the race’s overall classification is frequently decided by tactical breakaways and the high-intensity nature of the finishing circuits in major regional cities. Known for its strong field of professional teams and its role as a key early-season objective for versatile riders, the event serves as a significant showcase of the region’s diverse landscape and a rigorous test of endurance and team strategy.
Ethan Vernon (NSN Pro Cycling) won the opening stage of the Pays de la Loire Tour, the British rider outpacing Erlend Blikra (Uno-X Mobility) to the line in Vertou for his third win of the season.
Another Briton, 21-year-old neo-pro Noah Hobbs (EF Education-EasyPost), beat Paul Penhoët (Groupama-FDJ United) to take the final spot on the podium.
Vernon has already taken wins this year at the Tour Down Under and Volta a Catalunya. He added to his tally here, jumping from the wheel of Blikra after Uno-X led out the final sprint. The win, which puts him in the race lead by four seconds ahead of the Norwegian, is the 15th of his career.
The stage was a largely flat affair running 187.5km from Fontevraud-l’Abbaye to Vertou. It was one for the sprinters, but that didn’t stop a break of seven riders jumping clear 15km after the start.
Xabier Azparren (Pinarello-Q36.5) was joined in the move by Lander Loockx (Unibet Rose Rockets), Gabriele Bessega (Polti-VisitMalta), Santiago Ferraro (Bardiani CSF-7 Saber), Axel van der Tuuk (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Clément Davy (Nice Métropole Côte d’Azur), and Kévin Avoine (Van Rysel-Roubaix).
The group gained three minutes during the stage, while several teams, including Cofidis, NSN, and Decathlon CMA CGM, controlled the time gap.
Two third-category climbs in the middle of the stage were the only challenges of the day, and Avoine duly led the way over both to grab eight points and take the first mountains jersey of the race.
The end of the stage was marked by five laps of a local circuit, with the break, minus a dropped Ferraro, leading by 45 seconds as they reached Vertou with 35km to go.
Bessega and Davy were the last survivors from the move, going clear with 21km to go. They held out until 15km to go, at which point the sprinters took over. Several attacks, including a move from Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis) and Antoine L’Hote (Decathlon CMA CGM), went in the aftermath, but the stage was heading for a sprint.
Decathlon, NSN, and Uno-X Mobility led the way into the final kilometres, but it was NSN who came out on top in the final dash for the line.
Results :
 ME - Stage 1 </strong> - Fontevraud-l'Abbaye - Vertou : 187,5 km
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Classified as a 2.Pro event by the UCI, the Région Pays de la Loire Tour is a prominent multi-day stage race held in the western region of France. The competition typically unfolds over several days of racing across a variety of terrains, ranging from windswept coastal roads to undulating inland sections and technical urban circuits. While often favoring sprinters and punchy finishers, the race's overall classification is frequently decided by tactical breakaways and the high-intensity nature of the finishing circuits in major regional cities. Known for its strong field of professional teams and its role as a key early-season objective for versatile riders, the event serves as a significant showcase of the region's diverse landscape and a rigorous test of endurance and team strategy.
Ethan Vernon (NSN Pro Cycling) won the opening stage of the Pays de la Loire Tour, the British rider outpacing Erlend Blikra (Uno-X Mobility) to the line in Vertou for his third win of the season.
Another Briton, 21-year-old neo-pro Noah Hobbs (EF Education-EasyPost), beat Paul Penhoët (Groupama-FDJ United) to take the final spot on the podium.
Vernon has already taken wins this year at the Tour Down Under and Volta a Catalunya. He added to his tally here, jumping from the wheel of Blikra after Uno-X led out the final sprint. The win, which puts him in the race lead by four seconds ahead of the Norwegian, is the 15th of his career.
The stage was a largely flat affair running 187.5km from Fontevraud-l'Abbaye to Vertou. It was one for the sprinters, but that didn't stop a break of seven riders jumping clear 15km after the start.
Xabier Azparren (Pinarello-Q36.5) was joined in the move by Lander Loockx (Unibet Rose Rockets), Gabriele Bessega (Polti-VisitMalta), Santiago Ferraro (Bardiani CSF-7 Saber), Axel van der Tuuk (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Clément Davy (Nice Métropole Côte d'Azur), and Kévin Avoine (Van Rysel-Roubaix).
The group gained three minutes during the stage, while several teams, including Cofidis, NSN, and Decathlon CMA CGM, controlled the time gap.
Two third-category climbs in the middle of the stage were the only challenges of the day, and Avoine duly led the way over both to grab eight points and take the first mountains jersey of the race.
The end of the stage was marked by five laps of a local circuit, with the break, minus a dropped Ferraro, leading by 45 seconds as they reached Vertou with 35km to go.
Bessega and Davy were the last survivors from the move, going clear with 21km to go. They held out until 15km to go, at which point the sprinters took over. Several attacks, including a move from Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis) and Antoine L'Hote (Decathlon CMA CGM), went in the aftermath, but the stage was heading for a sprint.
Decathlon, NSN, and Uno-X Mobility led the way into the final kilometres, but it was NSN who came out on top in the final dash for the line.
<strong>Results : </strong>
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