Young Frenchman Paul Magnier wins first stage of Tour of Britain

French hopeful Paul Magnier, 20, sprinted to victory in the opening stage of the Tour of Britain on Tuesday, aided in the final by his Soudal Quick-Step teammates Remco Evenepoel and Julian Alaphilippe. The versatile rider crossed the line in Kelso, a small town in south-east Scotland, beating his chest and raising his hands in the air to celebrate his victory at the end of the first of six stages, also the longest (181.9 km).

“It gives you wings when you have such good riders working for you, commented the winner on the microphone of the British channel ITV4. I am very happy to take the victory for the team today.” This is the third victory in Magnier’s young professional career, having opened his account in January during a round of the Challenge of Mallorca, already in a bunch sprint, before winning a stage of the Tour of Oman the following month.

Magnier will return the favor to Evenepoel and Alaphilippe

He will wear the leader’s jersey on Wednesday when he starts in Darlington, in the north-east of England.I will focus on the last three stages, tomorrow and the day after I will try to help Julian and Remco as much as possible“, explained Magnier.

On Tuesday, the British Callum Thornley (Trinity) and the Dane Julius Johansen (Sabgal/Anicolor) led a long breakaway, with a gap of more than three minutes on the peloton. But they were caught in the last thirty kilometers, at the moment when the race came to life around forty riders, among whom were all the headliners.

Attacks were launched in turn by Alaphilippe, winner of the “Tour of Britain” in 2018, by his teammate and double 2024 Olympic champion, the Belgian Evenepoel, and by the Briton Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers), Olympic gold medalist in mountain biking this summer. None of them opened up a sufficient gap and the first stage was decided in a sprint, with Magnier above the rest.