Description
April 8, 2026
72nd Région Pays de la Loire Tour 2026 🇫🇷 (2.Pro) ME – Stage 2 – La Garnache – Les Sables-d’Olonne : 153,6 km
Classified as a 2.Pro event by the UCI,
Show more...
April 8, 2026
72nd Région Pays de la Loire Tour 2026 🇫🇷 (2.Pro) ME – Stage 2 – La Garnache – Les Sables-d’Olonne : 153,6 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) has made it two out of two in the Pays de la Loire Tour, following up his stage 1 win with a second bunch victory.
Second in the mass dash for the line in the coastal town of Les Sables-d’Olonne was Uno-X Mobility fastman Erlend Blikra, repeating his runner’s up spot of stage 1, whilst Sam Bennett (Pinarello-Q36.5) claimed his first podium spot of the year in third.
Vernon remains leader of the overall classification as the race now moves away from the flatlands and into much hillier terrain for the last two days of the four-day event.
The opening kilometres of stage 2 passed off uneventfully, with the peloton staying together as they headed towards the only categorised climbs of the day, the Apremont-L’Epine (Km 53) and Saint-Julien-des-Landes (Km 67), both fairly straightforward Cat.3 ascents.
At the end of a brisk first hour a four-rider move emerged with around 110 kilometres left to race, containing Martin Marcellusi (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber), Javier Ibañez (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Similien Hamon (CIC Pro Cycling Academy), and Simon Guglielmi (St Michel – Preference Home – Auber93). The quartet made it up to the two minute mark before the sprinters’ teams began reacting.
Guglielmi and Marcellussi sat up as the first of two local laps began, whilst Hamon, not content with just taking a provisional lead in the mountains ranking opted to push on with Ibañez. Euskatel-Euskadi, meanwhile, began driving in the peloton, although when NSN, racing for stage 1 winner Ethan Vernon and Uno-X Mobility took over at the front, things looked much less promising for the lead duo.
Not even a series of crashes could stop the peloton from honing in on the two breakaways and with 16 kilometres Hamon and Ibañez were caught. Clément Davy (Nice Métropole Côte d’Azur), making full use of his time trial skills, carved open a gap for a couple of kilometres but it was to no avail. Vernon and Erlend Blikra, already a winner of a Tour of Oman stage earlier this year, were determined to battle it out for a sprint, and after Vernon launched his move early in the final kilometre, the Briton took it all the way to the line for a second straight day.
Results :
 ME - Stage 2 </strong> - La Garnache - Les Sables-d'Olonne : 153,6 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) has made it two out of two in the Pays de la Loire Tour, following up his stage 1 win with a second bunch victory.
Second in the mass dash for the line in the coastal town of Les Sables-d'Olonne was Uno-X Mobility fastman Erlend Blikra, repeating his runner's up spot of stage 1, whilst Sam Bennett (Pinarello-Q36.5) claimed his first podium spot of the year in third.
Vernon remains leader of the overall classification as the race now moves away from the flatlands and into much hillier terrain for the last two days of the four-day event.
The opening kilometres of stage 2 passed off uneventfully, with the peloton staying together as they headed towards the only categorised climbs of the day, the Apremont-L'Epine (Km 53) and Saint-Julien-des-Landes (Km 67), both fairly straightforward Cat.3 ascents.
At the end of a brisk first hour a four-rider move emerged with around 110 kilometres left to race, containing Martin Marcellusi (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber), Javier Ibañez (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Similien Hamon (CIC Pro Cycling Academy), and Simon Guglielmi (St Michel - Preference Home - Auber93). The quartet made it up to the two minute mark before the sprinters' teams began reacting.
Guglielmi and Marcellussi sat up as the first of two local laps began, whilst Hamon, not content with just taking a provisional lead in the mountains ranking opted to push on with Ibañez. Euskatel-Euskadi, meanwhile, began driving in the peloton, although when NSN, racing for stage 1 winner Ethan Vernon and Uno-X Mobility took over at the front, things looked much less promising for the lead duo.
Not even a series of crashes could stop the peloton from honing in on the two breakaways and with 16 kilometres Hamon and Ibañez were caught. Clément Davy (Nice Métropole Côte d'Azur), making full use of his time trial skills, carved open a gap for a couple of kilometres but it was to no avail. Vernon and Erlend Blikra, already a winner of a Tour of Oman stage earlier this year, were determined to battle it out for a sprint, and after Vernon launched his move early in the final kilometre, the Briton took it all the way to the line for a second straight day.
<strong>Results : </strong>
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