procycling

Ronde de l'Isard 20-24/5/2026

https://www.ronde-isard.fr/edition-2026/

For the first time, this U23 race was sort of televised (one camera moto in 4G, and there is mostly no 4/5G in our mountains ;)).

A few pictures from the last and hardest stage (over 4000m of climb: https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/ronde-de-l-isard/2026/stage-5/info/profiles).

Here is Rémi Daumas (🇫🇷 FDJ devo) who broke away in the previous climb, changed bike after the descent, regained his gap and still has 2 extra passes to climb after this one. He will will have more than 2 minutes over the chase/peloton, but will lose a bit in the beginning of the last climb, and a lot in the downhill false flat leading to the finish, which is more flat than downhill. Hence no race victory, but still a stage victory with an old-school 90 km (!) breakaway...

The first peloton where we can see the Yellow jersey Huw Buck Jones (🇬🇧 Bourg-en-Bresse) pulled by a teammate, and the in the Green Dots jersey of points classification, Niels Driesen (🇧🇪 Lotto devo). The Brit will lose his jersey in the last metres of the stage to the Belgian, because of time bonus as they sprinted for second place of the stage.

And in a galaxy far, far way, here is half of the Vendée U team (Total's 'devo'), pushed by the sweeper car. They won't finish the stage/race.