Martina Alzini won stage 1 of the 2026 Tour Féminin des Pyrénées, sprinting to victory in Mourenx after Cofidis and the WorldTour teams brought back a stubborn breakaway inside the final 11 kilometres. The Italian beat Federica Venturelli of UAE Team ADQ and French champion Marie Le Net of FDJ United-SUEZ to the line, taking both the stage victory and the first leader’s jersey of the three-day race.
Franziska Koch finished fourth after leading out Le Net in the technical finale, while Kristýna Burlová gave Cofidis another rider in the top five. It was Alzini’s first victory of the season, her first win in three years, and the fourth victory of her professional career. For Cofidis, it also brought a timely second win of 2026.
The opening stage from Saint-Jean-de-Luz to Mourenx covered 118.6 kilometres and was the clearest opportunity for the sprinters before the race heads into the mountains. There were two classified climbs, Saint-Cyprien at 3.6 kilometres and 4.3 per cent, then Lay-Lamidou at 3.5 kilometres and 2.7 per cent, but the route was still flat enough for a bunch sprint if the peloton kept the late attackers under control.
Kvasničková opens the road
The early part of the stage was quiet in terms of sustained breakaway action, but the race became more animated midway through the day. Eliška Kvasničková of VIF Cycling Team made the strongest move, going clear alone with a little under 60 kilometres remaining and quickly becoming the main obstacle between the sprinters and their expected finale.
Her advantage grew steadily. With 50 kilometres to go she had around 2 minutes on the peloton, and 10 kilometres later the gap had reached 3:30 as the bunch allowed the move room. On a stage where the profile was expected to favour a sprint, that was a significant margin, especially with the chase not yet fully organised.
Katja Verkerk of Minimax Cycling Team tried to get across and at one stage was around 30 seconds behind Kvasničková. Further back, Ava Maddison of Meridian Bikebug and Jazmine Lavergne of Team Abadie Magnan were also on the move, sitting at roughly 1 minute from the solo leader before joining forces with Verkerk.
That gave the race a layered structure: Kvasničková alone in front, three chasers behind, and a peloton that still had time to react but could not afford to wait too long.
Peloton waits before accelerating late
For a while, the bunch seemed prepared to play with the gap. UAE Team ADQ and Liv AlUla Jayco were among the teams contributing to the chase, knowing Venturelli and their sprint options could benefit from a controlled finish. FDJ United-SUEZ also had clear interest, with Le Net protected for the finale and Koch available as a powerful lead-out rider.
There was also disruption in the middle of the stage, with a large crash causing several riders to abandon. The full impact of that incident was felt across the peloton, and it added to the stop-start feel before the chase became fully committed.
The gap to Kvasničková was still around 2:15 with 18 kilometres remaining, which left the peloton with work to do. The response came sharply. FDJ United-SUEZ helped restore order, with Koch particularly important in lifting the tempo and turning a loose chase into a more organised pursuit.
The increase in pace quickly changed the picture. Kvasničková lost more than 1 minute in just a few kilometres as the road rose towards Lay-Lamidou, while the chasing trio of Verkerk, Maddison and Lavergne were pulled back with around 12 kilometres to go. The Czech rider was then caught shortly afterwards, around 10.5 kilometres from the finish.
Late attacks fail to prevent the sprint
Once the breakaway was caught, the race did not immediately settle. The final 10 kilometres saw a wave of counter-attacks, with VolkerWessels particularly active. Sophie von Berswordt was among those trying to disrupt the sprint, while Paula Blasi of UAE Team ADQ also made a move as the bunch briefly hesitated.
Those attacks made sense. The Tour Féminin des Pyrénées is only three days long, and with the Col du Tourmalet coming on stage 2, many riders knew this was their best chance to take a stage before the climbers took over. The problem was that the sprinters’ teams were still alert, and the peloton had enough strength left to close everything down.
FDJ United-SUEZ and UAE Team ADQ led the race into the closing kilometres, both trying to organise their sprint trains. The run-in was technical enough to reward positioning, and Le Net looked well placed after Koch had worked to put the French champion in a strong position.
But the final metres belonged to Alzini. She came through with the better finishing speed, passing the riders in front and holding off Venturelli, who continued her strong run of form after recent success at Dwars door de Westhoek. Le Net had to settle for third despite a well-executed lead-out.
Alzini gives Cofidis a timely victory
This was an important win for Alzini and Cofidis. The Italian has often been close in fast finishes without landing a victory, but this time she converted the team’s work and the late chase into a clean sprint success. The result also gives Cofidis the opening leader’s jersey and puts them in control of the race before the terrain changes sharply.
Venturelli’s second place was another sign of her growing versatility. She had won Dwars door de Westhoek from a reduced breakaway sprint and again showed that she can handle fast finishes beyond straightforward bunch sprints. Le Net’s third place kept FDJ United-SUEZ in the picture after they helped bring the race back together, but the French champion was unable to finish off the work from Koch.
For Kvasničková, the result sheet will not reflect the impact of her ride. Her solo move shaped the stage, forced the WorldTour squads to chase, and came close enough to the finish to make the sprint teams uncomfortable. On a flatter day, with less commitment behind, it might have been enough.
The race now turns towards the mountains. Stage 2 runs 94.9 kilometres from Arrens-Marsous to Bagnères-de-Bigorre, with the Col du Tourmalet, 18.9 kilometres at 7.4 per cent, set to reshape the general classification. Alzini has already made her race a success, but the leader’s jersey will now face a completely different test.
Tour Féminin des Pyrénées 2026 stage 1 result
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