As consistent a rider as they come, Axel Huens had never before managed to make the podium at the very high level. Thanks to an attacking ride, he finally achieved that on Saturday at the Cholet Agglo Tour. Breaking away 20 kilometres from the finish in a group of eight that was quickly reduced to four, the Frenchman held off the peloton all the way to the line, with his teammates working to protect his move. On the finishing straight, he was beaten in the sprint by Jenthe Biermans and Matyas Kopecky, but nevertheless secured a highly deserved and significant result.
The peloton gathered in the Pays de la Loire region this weekend for the final two rounds of the 2026 edition of the FDJ United Series. The first event took place in Maine-et-Loire, with the Cholet Agglo Tour being moved to the end of the season for this occasion. The route, however, remained similar to previous editions, with the organizers simply deciding to reduce the number of laps on the finishing circuit from seven to six. As usual, the circuit featured two short climbs as well as the uphill drag to the finish, making it ideally suited to an aggressive race. That was precisely what Groupama-FDJ United cycling team was hoping for at the start. “We wanted to wait for the finishing circuit, and particularly the final few laps, to make our move,” explained Thierry Bricaud. The French team therefore kept a relatively low profile during the first three quarters of the race, initially behind an early breakaway of five riders and then during the first laps around Cholet. However, when the race came alive with 20 kilometres to go, Axel Huens was quick to react and joined a move of eight riders. A few moments later, he made another effort to close a gap, and a group of four then managed to break clear.
“It’s going to make him hungry for more” – Thierry Bricaud
With two laps to go, or approximately 17 kilometres remaining, the gap stood at around 15 seconds. “From that point on, the goal was that no move should get away without us behind it, and that we shouldn’t hesitate to counter-attack so that we had numbers at the front,” Thierry explained. “Thibaud did a very good job covering the attacks.” While the four leaders were working together perfectly, the teams caught behind attempted to join forces and close the gap. However, the deficit was still 15 seconds at the start of the final lap. With six kilometres remaining, Pierre Gautherat tried to take advantage of the final climb of the day to get clear, but he was unable to drop Thibaud Gruel. The two riders closed to within a handful of seconds of the leading quartet, but the rider from Groupama-FDJ United then hesitated. “He may not have dared to counter Gautherat in order to bridge across, and he probably needed to take that risk,” Thierry admitted. “He thought about it for a few seconds but the peloton was right behind them. That’s racing, and it’s part of his learning process.”
By playing his role as a teammate, Thibaud Gruel therefore put an end to the counter-attack’s hopes and allowed his teammate Axel Huens to extend his advantage with three kilometres remaining. With the gap to the peloton still significant, it became clear that the victory would be decided among the breakaway riders. “Coquard sacrificed himself for Biermans until 250 metres to go, and it was difficult to do something beforehand,” Thierry recounted. “Axel took the risk of launching his sprint early, hoping to surprise them, but they immediately got onto his wheel.” On the finish line, the 25-year-old rider had to settle for third place. “Second or third, it doesn’t make much difference; the goal was to win,” Thierry said. “The riders delivered on what we had planned this morning. We were just missing that little something, but the attitude was good. There were several riders who could have raised their arms if the race developed into an attacking affair. Axel was one of them, and he proved it. It would have been nice to see him rewarded with a victory given the work he puts in all year, but this will certainly make him hungry to finish the season strongly.” Like his teammates, Axel Huens will first line up at the Tour de Vendée tomorrow. “We can expect a sprint, but it’s still a race at the end of the season and nothing is written in advance,” Thierry concluded. “If it comes down to a sprint, we’ll give ourselves the best possible chance with Matteo, but we’ll also make sure to be there if an opportunity opens up in the final.”
