Superb Tours victory clinched by Hagenes
October 11 th 2026 - 17:10
The 120th edition of Paris-Tours produced another thrilling dash to the finish line on Boulevard Beranger, with Per Strand Hagenes (Visma-Lease a Bike) taking victory after attacking in the final kilometre and holding off Jasper Stuyven (Soudal Quick-Step) in the closing metres. Stuyven was followed closely over the line by Christophe Laporte (Visma-Lease a Bike), Matys Grisel (Lotto Intermarche) and Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility) to complete the top five, from an elite group of 11 who rode into Tours together. There was plenty of attrition and attacking action over the 216.2 km course, with a strong 12-rider breakaway forming early before the racing intensified over the nine climbs and 10 vineyard track sectors in the final 70 km. However, Hagenes proved strongest in the end, becoming the first Norwegian rider ever to win Paris-Tours, on a historic day for the race. An hour earlier, newly crowned European under-23 champion Hector Alvarez (Lidl-Trek Future Racing) had become the first Spaniard to win Paris-Tours Espoirs, crossing the finish line on Boulevard Beranger ahead of Belgian Mathias De Keersmaeker (Lotto-Groupe Wanty) and Frenchman Hans Rullier (Mayenne-Monbana-Rapido).
Early attackers make the break
Shortly after midday in Chartres, the 165 riders in the peloton headed towards the start, beginning a short, neutralised parade, with the official start given at 12.16pm. The attacks started immediately with 12 riders forming an early breakaway: Jakob Soderqvist (Lidl-Trek), Stefan Bissegger (Decathlon CMA CGM Team), Yves Lampaert (Soudal Quick-Step), Storm Ingebrigtsen (Uno-X Mobility), Jonas Rutsch (Lotto Intermarche), Matis Louvel (NSN Cycling Team), Julius van den Berg (Team Picnic PostNL), Estanislao Calabuig Vazquez (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Paul Ourselin (Cofidis), Martijn Rasenberg (Unibet Rose Rockets), Romain Cardis and Simon Guglielmi (both St Michel-Preference Home-Auber93).
An established gap at the front
By km 25, the 12 leaders had a 45-second advantage over the first part of the peloton, which had been split apart by the fierce pace. The second group, which included French champion Romain Gregoire (Groupama-FDJ United), was 55 seconds behind the attackers at that same km 25 marker. The attackers continued to forge on, despite the efforts of the eventually regrouped bunch behind them, with the leaders extending their advantage to 1’35” by km 44.
The lead increases to two then three minutes
Having covered 49.2 km in the first hour of racing, the aggressive lead group had increased their gap at the front to two minutes as they approached km 60. The 12 leaders pressed on relentlessly and passed the three-minute advantage barrier for the first time, just as they completed 100 kilometres of racing. At around the km 125 point Dutchman Rasenberg suffered a puncture in the breakaway and was soon caught by the peloton, reducing the lead group to 11 riders as they headed towards the decisive climbs and gravel sectors.
Breakaway's lead shrinks on the vineyard tracks
The gap at the front was down to just 1'30" as the leaders exited the Limeray vineyard track, the first of the 10 gravel sectors, with 65.2 kilometres remaining. Numerous riders were involved in a mass crash with 50 kilometres remaining, with the likes of Dorian Godon (Netcompany Ineos), Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Intermarche), Mathias Vacek (Lidl-Trek) and Alessandro Romele (XDS Astana) amongst those caught up in the incident. A group of around 20 riders emerged at the front of the peloton following the crash and an acceleration by Lewis Askey (NSN) reduced the group's numbers further, while the breakaway's lead continued to shrink. Only five leaders remained in the front group with 46 km to go.
The tough final climbs and tracks
Those five riders were Van den Berg, Louvel, Bissegger, Ingebrigtsen and Lampaert and they retained a lead of around 40” as they entered the Noizay vineyard track (km 185.2). Pierre Gautherat (Decathlon CMA CGM) rose out of the saddle on the Côte de la Vallee Chartier (600 metres at 7.6%) with 21 kilometres remaining, sweeping past the breakaway as the peloton caught the remaining escapees, Gautherat going clear alone at the front for several kilometres. He was joined by teammate Paul Lapeira and Per Strand Hagenes (Visma-Lease a Bike) at the front, but the trio were caught by a 30-man bunch before going into the final 10 km.
Acceleration on the Côte de Rochecorbon
Six riders broke clear of the rest of the peloton following an acceleration by Paul Lapeira (Decathlon CMA CGM) on the final climb of the race (Côte de Rochecorbon), but they were caught by five chasers, as a larger group of 11 riders formed ahead of the final 5 km riding into Tours. That elite group included Christophe Laporte and Per Strand Hagenes (Visma-Lease a Bike), Paul Lapeira (Decathlon CMA CGM), Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X Mobility), Thibaud Gruel (Groupama-FDJ United), Lewis Askey (NSN), Florian Senechal (Alpecin-Premier Tech), Toms Skujins (Lidl-Trek), Rasmus Sojberg Pedersen (Decathlon CMA CGM), Jasper Stuyven (Soudal Quick-Step) and Matys Grisel (Lotto Intermarche), with Hagenes making a decisive move in the final kilometre and holding on for a memorable win.
