"My job is done here" - Ethan Vernon delivers again in France and shifts focus toward Giro ambitions
Cycling
Ethan Vernon executed his plan to perfection at the Région Pays de la Loire Tour, confirming his sprinting dominance with back-to-back victories on the opening stages.
The British rider of the NSN Cycling Team powered to another win in a bunch sprint in Les Sables-d’Olonne, ticking off his primary objective for the week before the race even reaches its decisive phases.
Having secured two wins in as many days, Vernon now turns his attention, and that of his team, toward a new goal: the general classification, where teammate Corbin Strong is expected to take the lead role. Speaking after his latest success, Vernon reflected on a race that has unfolded exactly as planned so far.
The finale of the second stage presented a more technical challenge than the day before, with tight sections and urban obstacles complicating the sprint setup. Vernon explained how positioning proved decisive once again.
“I stayed at the front from around seven kilometres to go, because I didn’t expect many moves after that point. Uno-X were very well organised, so I followed them. The plan was to come out of the final corner behind Jake and a couple of others, and we executed that perfectly", he says to Directvelo.
"Uno-X took control and I stayed on their wheel. I was happy with my position through the last corner. The goal was to be third or fourth coming out of it, and from there we did a really good job.”
Just 24 hours earlier, Vernon had admitted he was struggling with his legs despite taking victory. This time, the sensations were markedly different.
“I felt much better today, my legs were definitely improved. It was an easier day overall. I think I just needed some recovery after the tough racing in Catalunya last week, and today already felt a lot better. Hopefully that continues over the next few days.”
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With his sprinting duties effectively completed, the British rider now enters a different phase of the race, where his role could vary depending on team strategy.
“My job as a sprinter is done here. I’m not sure yet what the plan is for tomorrow, whether it’s controlling the race, going in the break, or just staying on the same time. We haven’t discussed it yet. The focus was on the first two stages, and we achieved that.”
Looking ahead, Vernon acknowledged that the terrain later in the week may favour Strong more than himself, particularly if the racing becomes aggressive.
“I think the upcoming stages suit Corbin better. Maybe I’ll have the legs to stay with him, but I’m not sure. It really depends on how the race unfolds. If it’s aggressive, that suits him more. The goal is to keep the leader’s jersey within the team, so if it passes from me to Corbin, we’ll be very happy with that as well.”
Beyond this week, Vernon is already setting his sights on the Giro d'Italia, where he hopes to compete against some of the very best sprinters in the world. Despite the level of competition, he remains confident in his chances.
“I believe I can fight for a stage win, but there will be top sprinters like Paul Magnier and Jonathan Milan. The best in the world will be there, so it won’t be easy. But I already have four wins this season, and at the right moment, with the right conditions, I think I can take a stage.”
For Vernon, this race represents more than just immediate success, it is also a key building block toward his goals in the coming weeks. With a solid base of race days already in his legs, he is now fine-tuning his condition ahead of the Italian Grand Tour.
“This is perfect preparation for me. I already have plenty of race days, so now it’s about refining everything, maybe doing a bit of altitude training and final adjustments. I hope my condition will be another step higher for the Giro.”
After a flawless start in western France, Vernon leaves the sprint spotlight behind, but not without making a statement. Two stages, two wins, and a clear signal that he intends to carry this momentum onto one of cycling’s biggest stages.
Carlos Silva is a writer for CyclingUpToDate.com, where he contributes race reports, interviews, analysis pieces, and live coverage of the international cycling calendar. Holding a degree in Sports from the Jean Piaget Institute, he combines academic knowledge of performance, training, and competition with hands-on journalism experience in professional cycling.
Throughout his career, Carlos has conducted interviews with leading figures in the sport, including Alberto Contador, Joaquim Rodríguez, Óscar Pereiro, João Almeida, Isaac del Toro, Derek Gee, John Degenkolb and Geraint Thomas. These conversations reflect direct engagement with Grand Tour winners, Classics specialists, and emerging talents.
He has provided on-site coverage at major events ranging from the Vuelta a España to the Tour de France, alongside stage races such as Vuelta a Andalucía, Volta ao Algarve, Volta a Portugal and O Gran Camiño. Covering the mythical climbs of the Giro d'Italia remains one of his professional ambitions.
Carlos is responsible for liveblog coverage of all major WorldTour races and beyond, including the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España. His reporting integrates verified data from ProCyclingStats to ensure statistical accuracy, contextual depth, and analytical precision.
A lifelong cycling enthusiast, he approaches storytelling across written, photographic, and video formats with a focus on credibility, tactical insight, and informed race interpretation.
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- I get the point totally. We live in the snowflake society where some riders forget they are getting paid to ride and get results. When they have a few issues they try to look outside of the real issue instead of themselves. It odd so many of the team are making no complaints and getting on with their job. If you do not like what you do find another job simples. Tough love as my mum would say.paultryan200207-11-2026
- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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