"I hesitated one second too long" - Jasper Stuyven regrets indecisive moment as Paris-Tours victory gets away from him
Cycling
Jasper Stuyven has admitted that a moment of hesitation ultimately saw victory pass him by at Paris-Tours on Sunday. The Soudal Quick-Step rider finished in second place as a perfectly-timed Per Strand Hagenes sprint saw the Visma | Lease a Bike rider claim victory in the French classic.
As eleven riders contested the win in a cagey final kilometres, Lidl-Trek's Toms Skujins launched an attack as Hagenes followed. Initially marking the move for sprinter Christophe Laporte in the group, the Norwegian saw the chase behind stalled as he capitalised to go past Skujins and go solo with just over a kilometre to go.
The experienced Belgian initially kept tabs on the attack but couldn't match the attack as the Visma rider got a gap. Stuyven was the strongest in chase as he left the other riders behind him, but couldn't quite reel in the Norwegian.
Speaking after the finish, Stuyven admitted that a moment of hesitation saw him get 20 metres of an advantage - a distance he maintained right until the line.
Per Strand Hagenes
Stuyven rues missed moment
"I think it was a very, very fast day. I think I'm happy with the race I did and we had the gap and maybe I hesitated one second too long when we were with a group of four and then Per Strand just went behind Toms [Skujins, Ed.].
"Maybe I hesitated just a second too long and he went to Toms and just continued and I think it was 20 metres and it was still 20 metres at the finish line and then I can't say much."
Missing out on the perfect ending to the season, Stuyven admits that he enjoyed his final outing of the season: "He also had a very strong last kilometre and I tried to come to his back wheel but I couldn't and the legs were also quite empty.
"It was a hard final and it's unfortunate because of course it's again closed and I would have loved to finish my season with a nice cherry on the cake, but it's a second. I mean it's a nice race to finish the season and if you can win it, why not [accept second place, Ed.]."
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Hagenes reacts to victory
Meanwhile, Hagenes turned second at E3 Saxo Classic and a win at the Antwerp Port Epic this season into the biggest of his career so far. The Norwegian admitted that he didn't believe he would have the legs to take a win - both in the finale itself as well as during a demanding race.
"Well, it's a good feeling. To be honest, I didn't really believe in it during the race. I think I started to believe with 500 metres to go. Because I was marking a lot to make sure that we can at least do a sprint with Christophe for the wind," he told media after the race.
"And during the day also, I was suffering a little bit, but I kept on fighting and always came back. So, yeah, it was a nice day."
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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