Results Tour de l’Ain 2026 Stage 2 - Markel Beloki solos to second professional victory after late attack
CyclingWednesday, 29 July 2026 at 16:18
Markel Beloki claimed the second professional victory of his career with a commanding solo performance on Stage 2 of the 2026 Tour de l’Ain.
The 21-year-old EF Education-EasyPost rider attacked from the leading group with 9.5 kilometres remaining and quickly opened a decisive advantage on the run into Lagnieu. Beloki crossed the line 54 seconds clear of Noa Isidore, with Nicola Conci taking third on the same time.
Axel Mariault and Remi Arsac completed the top five, while Jamie Meehan, Henrique Bravo, Adam Howell, Huw Buck Jones and Geoffrey Bouchard rounded out the top 10.
Beloki began the day just three seconds behind overnight leader Noah Hobbs and moved into the yellow jersey after the Stage 1 winner was distanced during the first major climbing test of the race.
Early breakaway caught before Col de Portes selection
Jason Tesson, Kenny Molly, Morne Van Niekerk and Maximilien Juillard formed the early breakaway on the 161.9-kilometre route from Saint-Vulbas to Lagnieu.
Juillard led over the first ascent of the Col de Portes, collecting maximum mountains points on the 14.6-kilometre climb. Unibet Rose Rockets controlled the peloton behind before the original move began to break apart.
Molly and Juillard were caught, while Van Niekerk was also reeled in later. Thomas Gachignard then spent a spell alone at the head of the race before the main contenders took over on the second ascent of the Col de Portes.
EF Education-EasyPost were prominent as Jefferson Alexander Cepeda and Beloki made the front selection. Meehan, Bravo, Mariault, Arsac and Conci were also among the riders to emerge at the head of the race, while pre-stage favourite Wout Poels was left in a chasing group.
Meehan accelerated during the climb before the leading group expanded again, with Arsac and Mariault joining the front. Bouchard, Conci, Buck Jones and Jose Said Cisneros were among those trying to regain contact behind.
Beloki launches winning move
Beloki made the decisive attack with 9.5 kilometres remaining and immediately opened a gap over the rest of the leading group. The Spaniard continued to extend his advantage through the closing kilometres, leaving the chasers unable to bring him back before the finish in Lagnieu.
Isidore emerged as the best of the rest to take second, 54 seconds down, with Conci, Mariault, Arsac, Meehan and Bravo all finishing in the same group. The victory was Beloki’s second at professional level after his Stage 3 success at the 2025 Tour Alsace, where he also went on to win the general classification.
Lev Gonov and Lorrenzo Manzin abandoned during the stage. The Tour de l’Ain concludes with the mountainous third stage from Oyonnax to Lelex Monts-Jura.
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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