"The whole team did well, especially Émilien Jacquelin" - Noa Isidore praises the biathlete's contribution on way to debut professional victory

Cycling
Wednesday, 19 August 2026 at 03:00
Noa Isidore at La Route d'Occitanie 2026
The 2026 Tour du Limousin-Périgord - Nouvelle Aquitaine took off to its 59th edition this Tuesday with a victory of home rider Noa Isidore (Decathlon CMA CGM Team). For the 21-year-old Frenchman, it's his first professional victory after a relegation from first position at La Route d'Occitanie earlier this season.

A tailor-made finish

The 175-kilometer stage from Veyrac to Dun-le-Palestel was an appetizer for the rest of the four-day stage race which offers undulating parcours perfectly fitting versatile riders with strong finish such as Isidore.
"It was a pretty tough day, very tiring, but I knew this course could suit me, especially the slightly uphill finish," said Isidore. "The team trusted me and worked really hard. I thank them; I was determined to finish in the best possible way: with a victory."
Even more focus today however has been on his stagiare teammate Émilien Jacquelin. The biathlon star played his part in supporting Isidore on his way to stage victory, and his efforts earned him words of praise from Isidore as well: "The whole team wanted to do well, especially Émilien Jacquelin who, in only his second professional race, allowed us to control the breakaway."

Victory, at last

Isidore's debut professional victory has been long coming. Just in 2026, he finished second on four occasions (including a Volta a Catalunya stage). At La Route d'Occitanie, he even crossed the finish line in first position, but was subsequently relegated to 83rd position for an irregular sprint.
That is why this triumph on home roads means a lot to the young Decathlon rider: "I really wanted to win after coming close to success several times. I worked with that motivation to experience that joy again."
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