"I didn't feel comfortable with the rain" - Benoit Cosnefroy celebrates his fifth victory of debut season in UAE jersey
CyclingFriday, 11 September 2026 at 03:00
The Coppa Sabatini is a traditional venue of the Italian autumn calendar and yet, the 2026 edition results resemble those of a French Cup round. Standing on the podium were three French puncheurs. The victory went to Benoit Cosnefroy who celebrates his fifth victory of a debut season in UAE Team Emirates - XRG jersey.
The harsh weather conditions, combined with a short and explosive circuit have caused that, of the 166 participants at the 2026 edition of Coppa Sabatini, only 52 have reached the finish line after nearly 200 kilometers of racing.
And in the final uphill sprint in Peccioli, explosive French riders prevailed. Cosnefroy defeated Clément Venturini (Unibet Rose Rockets) and Romain Grégoire (Groupama - FDJ United). The best home rider would be Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana Team) in 4th.
"In the end, I did my best sprint possible to try and win," said Cosnefroy after the finish. "I felt good, but I wasn't always the best in the group. I lost a lot of positions on the descents before coming back."
Important victory
"But the finale was different from the rest of the race. I'm happy to have won it, for myself and for my team. It's my first victory in Italy, so it's important," he added proudly.
Rain played an important role on Thursday, turning the race into a survival test. Cosnefroy himself is not quite fond of such weather conditions, but ultimately everything worked out in his favor at the end.
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"This morning, I was told it wasn't my day because it was raining. In every race, I try to improve, but I didn't feel comfortable with the water and the rain. In the end, I'm therefore happy to have won," he continued.
A well-deserved joy, since victory could easily have slipped through his fingers if Pellizzari hadn't been caught in the final meters - just as was the case at Giro della Toscana one day prior. "Giulio Pellizzari is in good form this week. Yesterday, he won. Sometimes it's like that, the peloton wins. But he's a great rider. I really like the way he races," Cosnefroy concluded.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- It's called "supply and demand". People tend to be paid what they're worth (their discounted marginal value product). Just because he's the greatest cyclist, doesn't mean he would ever get paid what the greatest tennis player would be paid. There is more to the calculation than talent and hard work.acem8211-09-2026
- You’re going to have to come to correct often, CHF is dropping like a Tête de Moine rolling down from Bellelay.Mistermaumau10-09-2026
- So, I see despite my request that not only haven’t you reviewed your figures or commented since someone here did some better maths than you (thanks) but you made zero effort to think about the costs involved in collecting the fines. The original expression stems from written statements and promises that can’t be trusted but in the era of automation it received a second life when people started complaining about receiving bills (in the days when everything was done by post) to pay that didn’t cover the price of the stamp on the envelope let alone the costs of sending the bill, e.g rectification bills or utility bills for unoccupied lodgings. The minimum monthly salary in the poorest part of Switzerland is over 4000€ which sets employers back close to 6000€. UCI employees are unlikely to be on minimum salary, being sent abroad is likely to be associated with higher wages but also expenses to pay (travel & lodgings (different location every day), food & drink & a stipend) plus unseen expenses like insurance, min 4000km worth of fuel, etc. Then you forget office, admin & personnel costs, costs of enforcement and collection, accounting, bank fees, etc. run a company a while and see how money leaks out invisibly non-stop. Once there, a commissaire needs a vehicle, and a driver (can’t drive and officiate or write notes simultaneously) Up to stage 18 they fined 12400CHF, 3 stages left. EVEN if they sent only ONE commissaire, they’re not breaking even at this rate. With just 2, they’re losing. Of course by your calculation of raking in over 60k, yeah you could call it that way but you could also just write a fiction in your snazzy UCI office about a golden egg laying goose and earn far more from selling that than doing this, if it didn’t infringe copyright. Now, there is a possibility that these people aren’t even UCi employees but just officials paid fir missions. The going rate for that is 250CHF/day. Add 100 for hotel and 100 for expenses and you’re billing 450 a day for 30 days almost without the other necessary costs, same result.Mistermaumau10-09-2026
- Thought you you retired cuz your golden boy is out for the year? Dang now we get more of your nonsense for free!frieders310-09-2026
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- From none to 2 stage wins in a Grand Tour. Chapeau, Tudor. Maybe it'll be more by the end
Rafionain-Glas10-09-2026 - Chapeau to Mas for an amazing ride! Yes, if Pog were here he’d be ahead by 20 minutes now, but he’s not.Crashjames10-09-2026
- Great to see a win for Küng, too. Always had a soft spot for him; it's impossible not to after that terrifying crash at the ’23 European TT Championships.anonymouscyclist10-09-2026
- What a ride by Mas! He proved everyone wrong with his strength. Three more days to victory!awp10-09-2026
- Huge, huge performance by Mas. As Blythe called him, ‘El ‘Mas’ador’. Arguably the ride of that man’s life, and I could not be happier for him. Come on Mas!anonymouscyclist10-09-2026
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