Results Circuit Franco-Belge 2026 - Corbin Strong beats Paul Magnier on explosive uphill sprint

The 2026 Circuit Franco-Belge provided an opportunity for the puncheurs and the sprinters who can climb to take the win, and has led to a very explosive finale. It was a sprint that decided it, in which NSN Cycling Team's Corbin Strong took the win, beating none other than Paul Magnier to the finish line.

Axel van der Tuuk, Leandre Huck, Andrea Pietrobon, Jocelyn Baguelin and Camile Caillet formed the day's breakaway, a five-rider group which did not threaten the peloton at the Belgian classic, which featured a hilly finale.

Reminiscent of the spring classics, the route featured a final circuit with three small climbs and one of them coincided with the finish line at Mont-de-l'Enclus. Hence, not many looked to spend all their bullets on the previous climbs, as a reduced peloton sprint was always likely.

The pace was quite high throughout the day and members of the breakaway began getting caught with around 70 kilometers to go, whilst others were already attacking from the peloton and looking to create a favourable situation towards the finale where they would anticipate the major attacks.

Visma became quite active, with Menno Huising and Wilco Kelderman marking and then also creating their own attacks. Eventually the latter was able to go up the road. Later, Dries de Bondt, Colby Simmons and Johan Jacobs would attack inside the final 30 kilometers and join him up front.

But inside the final lap the move would be shut down, as the last time up the early ascents of the circuit each saw attacks that would split the peloton, but the peloton would catch up in the flat run-in to the finale. A sprint finish was likely to come, with teams fighting for positioning in the narrow roads that were on the menu. Quick-Step and Visma in particular looked to control the race for Paul Magnier and Matthew Brennan, the two main favourites after Arnaud de Lie had been dropped previously.

NSN led the group at the start of the final climb with a clear plan - making it as hard as possible from the base. That is because Corbin Strong was present in front and with good legs. After Riley Sheehan set a suffocating pace, a few riders kept the pace high in the final 300 meters as they didn't want to lose position.

Strong use the speed to his favour, making it a very long sprint where Paul Magnier couldn't match the Kiwi, having had his legs exploded from the longer effort. Magnier rode to third, overtaken by Anders Foldager who sprinted to second at the end.