"This is my second victory in two years here" - Jake Stewart continues love affair with Tour de l'Ain

Jake Stewart has taken two professional victories in his career. Stage 1 of the 2022 Tour de l'Ain and now, stage 1 of the 2023 Tour de l'Ain. The 23-year-old is developing quite the love affair with the French race.

“I like this race. This is my second victory in two years here," said the British, Groupama - FDJ rider in a post-stage interview. "The guys worked well and Fabian Lienhard launched the sprint perfectly. I went there in the 250m and I held on until the line.”

In a competitive sprint, Stewart edged out the likes of Nacer Bouhanni and Arne Marit among others but in truth, the victory for the 2021 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad runner-up was a relatively dominant one by the time the riders crossed the line.

Keeping hold of the jersey could be challenging though, stage 2 of the Tour de l'Ain is a tricky stage. It features four categorized climbs, the last of which is the Col de Portes which sees around 800 meters of climbing. The downhill finish into Lagnieu concludes a very short 124-kilometre stage where the overall classification will open.