"The goal is to win as a team" - Christophe Laporte finds satisfaction in teammate's victory at Paris-Tours
Cycling
The 2026 edition of Paris-Tours was influenced by crashes just as much as iconic gravel sectors through local vineyards. In the end, it was Per Strand Hagenes who, against all odds, celebrated a victory in Tours after his late attack proved decisive. In addition, teammate Christophe Laporte arrived 3rd.
Towards the end of the race, a 10-rider group formed at the front. For Team Visma | Lease a Bike, the situation was perfect; alongside fast finisher Laporte, they also had Hagenes present to cover all dangerous moves and set up a sprint for the French rider who had won the race already in 2024.
Therefore it is clear that it was not the plan for Hagenes to try and win the race himself. But when Toms Skujins launched an attack under the flamme rouge, Hagenes had to respond. And as a significant gap opened up, the Norwegian simply continued to push on - towards a victory.
Proud of teammate
Laporte himself controlled the situation in chasing group and, even though he eventually lost a sprint for second place to Jasper Stuyven, he can be satisfied with how the race played out for his team. "I feel like I've accomplished my duty," Laporte nodded in an interview after podium ceremony.
"You always want to win yourself, but the goal is to win with the team, so I'm very happy. In addition, it's a race that he deserves [to win], and it makes me happy for him. To go and get a podium behind him is always satisfying."
But there could've been no battle for victory if peloton would not manage to reel back in a dangerous 10-man breakaway which featured several strong engines such as Yves Lampaert, Jakob Söderqvist and Stefan Bissegger.
Laporte admits that the chase had become too frantical at times as a result. "It was very fast all day, and when it's like that, it's really hard to make a difference. A big group got away at the start of the race. We had to ride quite fast behind."
Per played his part perfectly
When it became clear that the front group would fight it out for a victory, the Visma duo quickly split roles.
"He was there to attack, to cover the attacks, and I was there to preserve myself for the sprint. It [the victory] made him smile, and it's great. This race has different scenarios every year," Laporte points out as a rider who has now finished first, second and third at the race.
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While for many riders the races of last weekend have been a farewell to the 2026 season, that won't be the case for the 33-year-old Frenchman. Due to injuries, Laporte missed out on Tour de France and only completed half of Vuelta a Espana. To compensate for that, he'll travel to the Netherlands to partcipate in Eneco Tour (October 13-18).
"I was keen to get back on my feet for the end of the season. I know these are races that suit me well, like Paris-Tours. And I want to finish well at the Eneco Tour to head on holiday on a good vibe," Laporte concludes.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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