Results La Route d'Occitanie 2026 Stage 3 | Davide Piganzoli rewards Visma pressure with dominant solo GC takeover

Davide Piganzoli has taken control of La Route d'Occitanie with a dominant solo ride on Stage 3, attacking on the Col de Val Louron-Azet before riding to stage victory and the overall race lead in Loudenvielle.

The Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider started the queen stage just eight seconds down on Thibaud Gruel, but the race changed completely once the hardest climbing arrived.

With the Hourquette d'Ancizan, the Col de Val Louron-Azet and more than 3,400 metres of climbing on the route, the opening two sprint stages gave way to the first real GC selection of the race.

Piganzoli made the decisive move on the Col de Val Louron-Azet, reached the summit alone and kept his advantage above a minute into the final 10km. Ion Izagirre and Ibon Ruiz formed the closest chase behind, while a larger group containing riders including Tijmen Graat, Lukas Nerurkar, Jamie Meehan and Urko Berrade slipped further back.

The stage had begun with a dangerous breakaway rather than a routine early move. Tom Donnenwirth, Valentin Retailleau, Victor Vidal and Arnaud Tendon all started the day just 10 seconds down overall, putting pressure on Groupama-FDJ United before the main mountain battle had even begun.

Theo Delacroix was also in the move and continued to add points in the mountains classification, but the break was pulled back into the wider GC fight before the decisive climbs.

Once the race hit the tougher terrain, the overall picture shifted quickly. Gruel, who had led the race after winning Stage 1, was distanced as the route turned firmly towards the climbers. Stage 2 winner Ronan Auge was also dropped, while Visma helped force the key selection before Piganzoli delivered the decisive acceleration.

The Italian then added maximum KOM points over the Col de Val Louron-Azet and took bonus seconds at the first passage of the finish line, ahead of Izagirre and Ruiz. With only the short Cote d'Estarvielle and the run-in left, his lead remained comfortably above a minute.

Visma had earlier lost Axel Zingle, who abandoned after starting the day third overall. The Frenchman’s withdrawal came in what was already expected to be his final race before a spell away from competition for iliac artery surgery, but Piganzoli ensured the team still left the queen stage in command.

After two opening days shaped by sprint finishes and post-stage jury drama, Stage 3 handed the race to the climbers. Piganzoli did not need a close finish or a late bonus battle. He rode clear on the hardest climb of the race and turned the GC on its head.