"I took risks, but it was worth it": Paul Lapeira claims victory at the new Tour des Alpes-Maritimes classic

The Tour des Alpes Maritimes debuted a brand new one-day format this season, and it delivered a thrilling battle for the punchy climbers. Former French national champion Paul Lapeira showed perfect timing and incredible strength to take the win, rewarding his Decathlon CMA CGM team for their hard work on a very intense day of racing.

The race, which was won by Cristian Scaroni in 2025, was reduced from a multi-day stage race to a single one-day classic in 2026. Scaroni was the main favourite to win back to back, but he could not repeat his success on this explosive course. Instead, it was 25-year-old Frenchman Paul Lapeira who crossed the finish line first to add his name to the history books.

Lapeira was thrilled with his performance and quickly praised his teammates for their crucial help during the race. "I am really happy to have gone and got this victory today," he explained in poast-race comments collected by Cyclism Actu. "I had super legs and I felt good on the Gourdon climb, I knew I could win."

He noted how his team perfectly set up his winning move before the final difficulties. "Aurélien Paret-Peintre and Antoine L'Hote put me in perfect conditions to catch the riders in front," the 25-year-old added.

When the race reached its most important moments, Lapeira knew he had to act fast and be aggressive to secure the victory. "In the finale, I told myself I had to attack right from the bottom. I took risks and gave everything to catch our opponents, but it was worth it," he explained.

The new one-day format meant the riders raced hard from start to finish, which made the victory even sweeter for the Decathlon rider. "It was a very intense race all day, and that gives even more flavor to this result," Lapeira concluded.