Published on : 08/26/2026
After yesterday’s first mountain stage in Andorra, the peloton faced a course more suited to the fast men this Wednesday, with 173 km between Falset and Roquetes. The route remained hilly, however, with several climbs before a finale more suited to the sprinters. Bryan Coquard made it safely over the final climb of the day before taking 17th place in the sprint.
Five riders quickly went clear at the start of the stage, but the breakaway was never able to build a significant advantage. With the peloton keeping the gap under control, the last attackers were gradually caught.
The pace then increased on the approach to the Puerto de Paüls (3.9 km at 6.6%), the final climb of the day, located 27 km from the finish. Well positioned, Bryan Coquard made it over the climb without any problems in the front group.
In the finale, the Cofidis team worked to position its sprinter, with four riders still present in the front group. Bryan Coquard eventually took 17th place in the sprint in Roquetes.
Reaction:
Gorka Gerrikagoitia, Sports Director:
“The stage eventually came down to a sprint, even though the course wasn’t easy. The goal was to contest the sprint with Bryan. A five-rider breakaway went clear early on and the stage was controlled by Visma-Lease a Bike. In the middle of the stage, it was quite nervous, with some crosswind action.
In the finale, we arrived with four riders in the front group. Unfortunately, Bryan wasn’t well positioned enough when the sprint started. He said he had good legs, and he showed that by getting over the final climb without any problems.”