The second stage of the Tour de l’Ain, between Saint-Vulbas and Lagnieu, delivered the first major showdown among the overall contenders. Markel Beloki claimed his first major professional victory and took over the race leader’s jersey.
The first real test of this 38th edition of the Tour de l’Ain, Stage 2 covered 161.9 km with 2,200 metres of elevation gain under intense summer heat. The demanding route was feared by the 105 starters, who all fought for position before tackling the first of two ascents of the Col de Portes (14.6 km at 5.5%). In 2025, with only one ascent of the climb on the route, the same finish in Lagnieu had ended in a bunch sprint won by Tom Donnenwirth (Groupama-FDJ United), giving hope to riders beyond the pure climbers.
The opening part of the race was animated but without a decisive breakaway. After 55 km, a group of around 30 riders built an advantage of nearly 50 seconds before the teams of Unibet Rose Rocket and EF Education-EasyPost took control of the peloton to protect their leaders, notably Wout Poels and Jefferson Alexander Cepeda.
At Rignieu-le-Désert, Jason Tesson (TotalEnergies) won the intermediate sprint ahead of Kenny Molly (Van Rysel Roubaix) and Morné Van Niekerk (Saint-Michel Preference Home-Auber 93), who was joined by Maximilien Juillard (Vélo Club Villefranche Beaujolais). The latter three had already been among the protagonists on Stage 1.
The quartet extended its lead to almost four minutes as they reached the first slopes of the Col de Portes. Tesson was the first to be dropped, while the gap was reduced to just 45 seconds with 69 km remaining. Unibet Rose Rocket confirmed its ambitions by leading the peloton. Juillard crested the Col de Portes first ahead of Molly, collecting the ten points for the Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes King of the Mountains classification.
Thomas Gachignard (TotalEnergies) and Van Niekerk took advantage of the descent to bridge across and crossed the finish line in Lagnieu for the first time—beginning the final 41.5 km—with more than two minutes over Juillard and Molly, who were within reach of a peloton reduced to around 30 riders.
On the second ascent of the Col de Portes, Gachignard eventually dropped his breakaway companion, who even sprayed him with water in encouragement. Behind, EF Education-EasyPost increased the pace at the front of the peloton, steadily reducing the group.
With 6.5 km remaining to the summit, Gachignard was caught by a select group including Rémi Arsac (Decathlon CMA CGM Team), Jamie Meehan (Cofidis), Axel Mariault (CIC), Jefferson Alexander Cepeda and Markel Beloki Fernandez (EF Education-EasyPost), Henrique Ribeiro Bravo and Jose Said Cisneros Dias de Leon (Soudal Quick-Step), as well as Geoffrey Bouchard (TotalEnergies). Nicola Conci (XDS Astana Team) and Huw Buck Jones (Bourg-en-Bresse Ain Cyclisme) later joined them.
The race exploded on the climb. Ribeiro Bravo, Beloki and Meehan crested the Col de Portes together before the descent brought nine riders back together. Attacks came one after another, but Beloki’s acceleration with 9 km to go proved decisive. The young Spaniard rode solo all the way to Lagnieu to claim the biggest victory of his professional career—following in the footsteps of many riders who have made their breakthrough at the Tour de l’Ain.
Fifty-five seconds later, Noah Isidore (Decathlon CMA CGM Team), after producing an impressive chase back to the leading group, won the sprint for second place ahead of Conci, Mariault, Arsac, Meehan, Ribeiro Bravo, Adam Howell, Huw Buck Jones (Bourg-en-Bresse Ain Cyclisme), Bouchard, Cisneros Dias de Leon and Cepeda.
At just 21 years of age, Beloki inherited the yellow Solimut Mutuelle de France leader’s jersey, the green Crédit Mutuel points jersey and the white EGT Environnement best young rider jersey from his teammate Noah Hobbs, Tuesday’s stage winner. As on Stage 1, EF Education-EasyPost narrowly missed out on the polka-dot Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes King of the Mountains jersey, which went to Brazil’s Henrique Ribeiro Bravo. XDS Astana Team claimed the team classification.
French riders also enjoyed an excellent day, placing three riders in the top five. Thomas Gachignard, who came up just a few kilometres short of staying clear, was deservedly awarded the Combativity Prize. In the general classification, Axel Mariault moved into second place at 52 seconds, while Noah Isidore sits third at 55 seconds, tied on time with nine riders whom he outsprinted in Lagnieu.
The decisive stage comes on Thursday with a short but extremely demanding 131.5 km route from Oyonnax to Lélex Monts-Jura featuring seven classified climbs. Can EF Education-EasyPost complete a clean sweep?
Key Facts
Stage Winner
Markel Beloki Fernandez (EF Education-EasyPost)
Yellow Jersey (Solimut Mutuelle de France)
Green Jersey (Crédit Mutuel – Points Classification)
White Jersey (EGT Environnement – Best Young Rider)
Markel Beloki Fernandez (EF Education-EasyPost)
Polka Dot Jersey (Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes – King of the Mountains)
Henrique Ribeiro Bravo (Soudal Quick-Step)
Most Combative Rider
Thomas Gachignard (TotalEnergies)
Best Team
XDS Astana Team
