Results GP de Wallonie 2026 - 20-year-old Aubin Sparfel stuns star-studded field with breakthrough Citadelle victory over Romain Gregoire
CyclingWednesday, 16 September 2026 at 17:25
Aubin Sparfel has claimed a major breakthrough victory at the 2026 GP de Wallonie, the 20-year-old Decathlon CMA CGM Team rider beating Romain Gregoire after a frantic finale on the climb towards the Citadelle de Namur.
Gregoire launched the sprint inside the final 300 metres after a series of late attacks had been brought back, but Sparfel came through strongly to overhaul his fellow Frenchman and secure the biggest senior win of his young career.
The result capped a rapid rise for Sparfel, who had already enjoyed a strong 2026 at development level before stepping up here against a field packed with established one-day specialists.
The race had earlier been shaped by a large breakaway which repeatedly changed composition through the final 40 kilometres. Davide Bais, Hartthijs de Vries, Marijn Maas and Leandre Huck were among the riders who spent much of the day ahead, before a counter-move containing Carlos Verona, Rui Oliveira, Jonas Abrahamsen, Simone Gualdi and Mathis Le Berre helped reshape the front of the race.
By 24 kilometres to go, the surviving escapees held only 18 seconds, and the race came back together with 18 kilometres remaining.
Aubin Sparfel wins Lotto Grand Prix de Wallonie 2026! French guys dominated the finale! pic.twitter.com/Y5ftZbgG05
— Eemeli (@LosBrolin) September 16, 2026
Wellens attacks before frantic Citadelle finale
Tim Wellens then tried to take control of the closing phase, attacking with 12 kilometres to go and going solo shortly afterwards. Behind him, the pressure began to tell. Biniam Girmay, Riley Sheehan, Jake Stewart and Lewis Askey were among those dropped as the peloton was reduced to around 50 riders.
Wellens' move was eventually brought under pressure as the race reached the final climb. Gregoire attacked with just under two kilometres remaining, with Jenno Berckmoes initially following before Paul Lapeira countered. Berckmoes was dropped from the front group with 1.6 kilometres left, while Wellens continued chasing behind.
The remaining attackers were finally caught inside the last 400 metres. Gregoire immediately opened the sprint, but Sparfel had enough left to come past and claim a standout victory in Namur.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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