The first three stages of the Tour de Bretagne, held since Saturday, have largely favoured sprinters, although a breakaway managed to outsmart them on Sunday. In this context, the Groupama-FDJ United development team secured a top-10 finish in stage two with Eliott Boulet (6th) and a podium this Monday thanks to Blake Agnoletto (3rd). Nearly halfway through the race, Boulet currently sits eighth overall.
It was in the Ille-et-Vilaine department, in Redon, that the peloton gathered this year to kick off the 2026 edition of the Tour de Bretagne. The opening stage featured a 165-kilometre route to Pipriac, with a somewhat demanding final. “Last year, the breakaway made it to the finish on stage one, so everyone was careful, and as a result it was an extremely fast race,” explained Jérôme Gannat. Five riders eventually broke away halfway through the stage, including Soan Ruesche for “La Conti.” Their lead reached 2 minutes 30 seconds, but their move ended 40 kilometres from the finish when a first peloton joined them. “In the climbs before the finishing circuit, there were a series of attacks and about thirty riders got away,” Jérôme added. “That suited us well because we had Eliott and Reef, who joined Soan. Behind, the main peloton still got organized. The gap stayed around thirty seconds for a long time, but they only bridged across in the final lap.” Despite a lively final, the first day did end in a bunch sprint. “The run-in to the sprint was difficult and technical, with a corner 250 metres from the line,” Jérôme said. “Blake was a bit isolated and got held up by a crash in that final turn.” The Australian had to settle for 12th place, while Eliott Boulet finished 17th.
“Everything is still to play for” – Jérôme Gannat
On Sunday, the course again seemed ideal for a bunch sprint in Missillac after 170 kilometres. However, a breakaway of five, later reduced to three riders, managed to hold off the peloton. “They only had a 15-second lead at the start of the final lap,” Jérôme continued. “We thought they were caught for sure, but a major race incident occurred. There was a crash in the peloton, which caused some confusion. The breakaway gained a bit more ground and managed to keep a four-second advantage at the finish.” The peloton therefore sprinted for the minor placings, and Eliott Boulet, despite crashing about ten kilometers earlier, fought his way to third in the sprint, meaning sixth on the stage. “Blake and Reef were caught in the crash, which disrupted our plans because Blake was supposed to contest that technical finish,” Jérôme explained. “Despite a slightly misaligned cleat after his incident, Eliott quickly got back on and positioned himself very well, so he ended up doing the sprint, with a very encouraging result.” Soan Ruesche also finished 12th on the day, while Reef Roberts and Blake Agnoletto lost more than a minute due to the crash.
The third stage on Monday was close to 190 kilometres, but the peloton was much more vigilant than the day before and neutralized the five early breakaway riders 20 kilometres from the finish in Concoret. A true bunch sprint seemed likely, but the final turned out to be quite chaotic. “A series of crashes split the peloton into several groups,” Jérôme explained. “Soan was involved in one of them seven kilometres from the finish.” In the end, only around forty riders contested the finish. “Reef did a great job and took control with two kilometers to go,” Jérôme said. “Blake was well positioned, but Eliott had lost the wheel and it was very difficult to move up on those narrow roads. So Blake went for the sprint, even though it had initially been planned for Eliott. Once again, it wasn’t an easy sprint, with the final 300 metres at a 5% gradient coming out of a dip, where positioning was crucial.” After holding his place near the front, the Australian rider from “La Conti” powered through the final straight to claim third place on the day. “That shows he’s in good condition,” Jérôme commented. “It’s a shame he lost time in yesterday’s crash, because the time bonuses could have helped him move up in the overall standings.”
In the general classification after three stages, only Eliott Boulet (8th) remains in the first group, sitting 20 seconds behind leader and two-time stage winner Alessio Magagnotti. “Two very tough stages are coming tomorrow and the day after, with 3,000 metres of climbing and quite demanding circuits,” Jérôme concluded. “Everything is still to play for, and we’re still in the fight.” Unfortunately, the Besançon-based team will have to continue without Soan Ruesche, who won’t be able to resume the race tomorrow following his crash.
