La Polynormande: Hugo Page powers to victory in uphill bunch sprint

“We knew the finale was very tough and that the peloton might catch us at the end. I benefited from the great work Alex (Aranburu) did right up to the finish. I sat on his wheel and waited for the right moment to launch my sprint, and it worked out,” said Page, who joined Cofidis in 2026 from Intermarché–Wanty.

Latest Videos FromCyclingnews

“There’s definitely a lot of pride. I battled hard for three weeks at the Tour de France, and it’s never easy. You don’t always manage to achieve what you want over the course of a season. It had been three years since my last win, so I’m happy to have achieved it here. I’m also thrilled to have done it in the colours of Cofidis, a team that put its trust in me for three years.”

This year’s route featured an opening 30-kilometre section before reaching a 12-kilometre circuit, which the riders raced 11 times, tackling the Côte de la Pigeonnièrie on every lap. In total, the race covered 168.9 kilometres.

You may like

Like previous editions of the race, aggression was the word of the day, as attack after attack flew, in what seemed to be a battle for control between the Decathlon and TotalEnergies squads.

In the final lap, Michiel Coppens (BEAT CC p/b Saxo) took a solo flyer but was reeled in on the climb by the pack led by Decathlon’s Paul Lapeira, who won the race in 2024. The high pace and dynamic racing continued until a group of around 20 riders formed in the final kilometres.

The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!