Description
May 16, 2026
40th Tour du Finistère Pays de Quimper 2026 🇫🇷 (1.1) ME – Quimper – Quimper : 156,2 km
Tour du Finistère is a UCI 1.1 classification that carves its path through the wild,
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May 16, 2026
40th Tour du Finistère Pays de Quimper 2026 🇫🇷 (1.1) ME – Quimper – Quimper : 156,2 km
Tour du Finistère is a UCI 1.1 classification that carves its path through the wild, windswept landscapes of Brittany’s westernmost department, where the roads twist and climb across rugged coastal cliffs, rolling farmland, and steep, technical ascents that define the region’s unrelenting terrain. The course is a mix of short, explosive climbs and longer, grinding ascents, with gradients often spiking to 10% or more on the steepest ramps, particularly on roads like the Côte de la Roche du Feu or Côte de Stang ar Linn, where the road tilts upward abruptly, forcing riders to dig deep and accelerate hard. The descents are fast and technical, their narrow lanes and sharp bends demanding precision and control, while the flatter sections are often exposed to the full force of the Atlantic winds, turning the race into a tactical battle for shelter and position. The race dynamics are shaped by these climbs and wind-exposed stretches, with attacks launching on the steepest ramps or during moments of crosswind chaos, the peloton fracturing as riders struggle to hold the wheel ahead. The final kilometers often feature a decisive ascent or a fast, technical run-in, where a reduced bunch sprints for victory, or a lone rider who has timed their move to perfection holds off the chasing pack by a handful of seconds. The Tour du Finistère is a race that embodies the raw, untamed spirit of Breton cycling—a grueling test of strength, skill, and resilience against a backdrop of dramatic coastal scenery and relentless terrain.
Jon Barrenetxea (Movistar) narrowly edged out Alex Molenaar (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) at the line for his first victory of the season at Tour du Finistère Pays de Quimper.
Clément Venturini (Unibet Rose Rockets) completed the podium as his acceleration with more than 500 metres to go proved too long and he went third, his teammate Lander Loockx taking fourth.
An original breakaway of six riders in the opening kilometres dwindled to just two – Clément Davy (Nice Métropole Côte d’Azur) and Leandre Huck (Van Rysel Roubaix) – with one lap of a finishing circuit, but it all came back for a final bunch sprint with 7.5km remaining.
The profile of the 156.3km route through Brittany resembled a saw with a relentless series of climbs, though none categorised, for the 40th edition of the French one-day race. Four intermediate sprint lines rewarded riders who escaped in the breakaway, beginning with Côte de la Roche de Feu just 22km from the start.
Six riders made the main move in the first 5km – Davy, Huck, Nate Pringle (Decathlon CMA CGM Development), Thomas Champion (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93), and Nu Colombia duo Juan Diego Alba and Rodrigo Contreras.
Alba was the first passenger dispatched from the lead group, rolling back towards the peloton, which was nearly three minutes back, before the Côte de Locronan at the half-way point.
The leading quintet held strong and passed the finish line for the first time with 59km to go, a circuit of 15.7km to be completed six times. Alba still rode in no-man’s land, two minutes behind, while the peloton was close to reeling him back into their fold for the chase.
Completing the first circuit, the breakaway’s gap was sliced to 1:28 by the peloton. Two riders had accelerated in the chase to connect, Valentin Darbellay (Elite Fondations Cycling) and Carter Guichard (Nice Métropole Côte d’Azur), with Darbellay then riding with Contreras, who had dropped from the front, on the fourth lap. However, the peloton was by then bearing down on catching everyone, only 30 seconds left for a full catch.
Just before the penultimate lap began, Davy shot away for a solo flyer. He was joined by Huck and the French duo carved out a 20-second gap on what was left of the breakaway.
Once the lead pair were on a flatter section of the final circuit, the peloton quickened the pace and seized both riders with 7.5km to go, setting up the final 2km uphill battle to settle accounts in Quimper.
Unibet Rose Rockets, Van Rysel Roubaix, Cofidis and TotalEnergies moved to the front on the climb. Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) went to the front and launched an attack for Jenthe Biermans on the final kilometre, with Venturini launching from behind him with 700 metres to go, but Barrenetxea blasted from the reduced front group and pulled off his first win of the season.
Results :
 ME </strong> - Quimper - Quimper : 156,2 km
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Tour du Finistère is a UCI 1.1 classification that carves its path through the wild, windswept landscapes of Brittany’s westernmost department, where the roads twist and climb across rugged coastal cliffs, rolling farmland, and steep, technical ascents that define the region’s unrelenting terrain. The course is a mix of short, explosive climbs and longer, grinding ascents, with gradients often spiking to 10% or more on the steepest ramps, particularly on roads like the Côte de la Roche du Feu or Côte de Stang ar Linn, where the road tilts upward abruptly, forcing riders to dig deep and accelerate hard. The descents are fast and technical, their narrow lanes and sharp bends demanding precision and control, while the flatter sections are often exposed to the full force of the Atlantic winds, turning the race into a tactical battle for shelter and position. The race dynamics are shaped by these climbs and wind-exposed stretches, with attacks launching on the steepest ramps or during moments of crosswind chaos, the peloton fracturing as riders struggle to hold the wheel ahead. The final kilometers often feature a decisive ascent or a fast, technical run-in, where a reduced bunch sprints for victory, or a lone rider who has timed their move to perfection holds off the chasing pack by a handful of seconds. The Tour du Finistère is a race that embodies the raw, untamed spirit of Breton cycling—a grueling test of strength, skill, and resilience against a backdrop of dramatic coastal scenery and relentless terrain.
Jon Barrenetxea (Movistar) narrowly edged out Alex Molenaar (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) at the line for his first victory of the season at Tour du Finistère Pays de Quimper.
Clément Venturini (Unibet Rose Rockets) completed the podium as his acceleration with more than 500 metres to go proved too long and he went third, his teammate Lander Loockx taking fourth.
An original breakaway of six riders in the opening kilometres dwindled to just two - Clément Davy (Nice Métropole Côte d'Azur) and Leandre Huck (Van Rysel Roubaix) - with one lap of a finishing circuit, but it all came back for a final bunch sprint with 7.5km remaining.
The profile of the 156.3km route through Brittany resembled a saw with a relentless series of climbs, though none categorised, for the 40th edition of the French one-day race. Four intermediate sprint lines rewarded riders who escaped in the breakaway, beginning with Côte de la Roche de Feu just 22km from the start.
Six riders made the main move in the first 5km - Davy, Huck, Nate Pringle (Decathlon CMA CGM Development), Thomas Champion (St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93), and Nu Colombia duo Juan Diego Alba and Rodrigo Contreras.
Alba was the first passenger dispatched from the lead group, rolling back towards the peloton, which was nearly three minutes back, before the Côte de Locronan at the half-way point.
The leading quintet held strong and passed the finish line for the first time with 59km to go, a circuit of 15.7km to be completed six times. Alba still rode in no-man's land, two minutes behind, while the peloton was close to reeling him back into their fold for the chase.
Completing the first circuit, the breakaway's gap was sliced to 1:28 by the peloton. Two riders had accelerated in the chase to connect, Valentin Darbellay (Elite Fondations Cycling) and Carter Guichard (Nice Métropole Côte d'Azur), with Darbellay then riding with Contreras, who had dropped from the front, on the fourth lap. However, the peloton was by then bearing down on catching everyone, only 30 seconds left for a full catch.
Just before the penultimate lap began, Davy shot away for a solo flyer. He was joined by Huck and the French duo carved out a 20-second gap on what was left of the breakaway.
Once the lead pair were on a flatter section of the final circuit, the peloton quickened the pace and seized both riders with 7.5km to go, setting up the final 2km uphill battle to settle accounts in Quimper.
Unibet Rose Rockets, Van Rysel Roubaix, Cofidis and TotalEnergies moved to the front on the climb. Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) went to the front and launched an attack for Jenthe Biermans on the final kilometre, with Venturini launching from behind him with 700 metres to go, but Barrenetxea blasted from the reduced front group and pulled off his first win of the season.
<strong>Results : </strong>
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