The opening stage of La Route d'Occitanie saw strong wind and among the sprinters that survived the difficult conditions was Marijn van den Berg, who took the opportunity to snatch his second win of the season.
“It was a tough day. It was especially very hot and there was a lot of hard riding," the Dutchman said in a post-race interview. "Overall a good day. I hope to be able to participate tomorrow as well. I would like to survive the climbs and then go for the sprint. We also have some men here for the standings, so it's also about how we can help them. So we will see tomorrow.”
The EF Education-EasyPost rider was part of a group of 23 riders that reached the finish ahead of the rest of the field, he still had some of his main rivals there but managed to outsprint Sandy Dujardin and Paul Penhoët, whilst Elia Viviani ended up relegated. This was the best opportunities for the sprinters to succeed, he has won under a tough day as was the case as well as when he won at the Trofeo Ses Salines earlier in the year.
However his and the team's focus remain on the overall classification, they now look to take time back for Simon Carr after he lost time on the opening day. “Simon is our leader this week. We're going to try to help him as best we can. It's nice that he comes from this region. That is why he is so motivated to do well here.”
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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- deviation lol, watch the videomij09-11-2026
- the 'No different than women who follow and discuss celebs through gossip magazines' comment was unfortunately a bit off. didn't you just boast about your principles in the comments section of another article?Ketterechts08-11-2026
- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...Dariusz08-11-2026
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parisbound0008-11-2026
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A special team win ❤️ Marijn crossed the line in first but today was a team victory. Almost a year after what should have been a career ending injury, Michael Valgren was back at the race where it all happened and he made his presence felt. He put on a strong ride, setting his
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