Published on : 03/21/2026
What a bumper crop to start the season! Despite the sweltering heat and oppressive humidity in Chiang Mai, Thailand, the riders from the Cofidis para-cycling team lived up to their reputation. They wrapped up this first stage of the World Cup with seven medals, five of which were gold. A look back at a spectacular start to the season!
As always, this first round of the World Cup kicked off with the time trial events. The humidity and heat inevitably made things difficult for the riders.
“It felt like over 36°C, so we really had to make sure we started off gently to let our bodies warm up,” explains Gatien Le Rousseau. Yet, “the lads had a clean sweep,” says Valérie Alexandre, the team manager. Elliot Pierre, Louis Hubert and Gatien Le Rousseau did indeed come out on top in their respective categories.
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It was the first test of the year, so it’s obviously a positive result,” says Louis, whilst Gatien was able to savour
“a fine victory”. Elliot Pierre, who joined the team during the off-season, couldn’t have got off to a better start.
“I’m very happy to start like this; it really boosts my confidence! ”Although she also gave it her all, Katell Alençon finished just off the podium (4th). The team’s most experienced rider felt unwell after her time trial, suffering badly from the heat. She then focused on recovering properly to regain her composure and look ahead to the rest of the season.
SATURDAY. ELLIOT AND GATIEN, NEW DEMONSTRATIONS!
Two days later, everyone was back in action for the road races. Building on his time trial performance, Elliot Pierre impressed once again. The rider broke away from the start with another rider before dropping him three laps from the finish!
“I felt really good right from the start,”he explains. “And winning solo is the ultimate achievement in cycling!” Elliot leaves Thailand as World Cup leader, just like Louis Hubert. It was on the final lap that Louis made the difference after “countering the rider who was in the lead”. Gatien Le Rousseau, however, came within just a few centimetres of victory, finishing second in the sprint.
“It’s obviously a mixed result, but it’s still a good start,”he says. Katell Alençon also hung on from start to finish, even though she once again struggled with the heat. Nevertheless, she finished third and is delighted to “be leaving Thailand with a medal!” In total, the Cofidis team leaves this first round of the World Cup with seven medals, five of which are gold.
The reaction
Valérie Alexandre, sports director: “
We are very proud of the results achieved by our riders. We came here with high hopes, but it’s never easy to turn them into reality. Seven podium finishes in eight races is exceptional! Even though the field was slightly less competitive than in the European Cups, there was still strong competition. Furthermore, we had to cope with very gruelling conditions, with temperatures above 35°C and stifling air. It was tough, but our riders didn’t let it get them down! Now we’re looking ahead to the next World Cup rounds, near Ostend (Belgium) at the end of April and then in Italy straight after. There too, we’ll be aiming for podium finishes to win the World Cup!”