"This jersey is a reward for my efforts" - Alex Baudin aimed for yellow, but settles for polka dot jersey after stage 3
Cycling
Alex Baudin is riding around in a great form in 2026 - and the Tour de France seems to be no exception to that rule. Already with his first breakaway, Baudin made a great impression. It wasn't enough for a victory, but the Frenchman has secured a small success thanks to a Mountains classification leader's jersey.
The third stage kicked off at a high pace, and multiple riders immediately lost contact in opening kilometers of the stage. But not Baudin, who was attentive from the beginning and managed to sneak into a 20-man breakaway after a lengthy battle to be part of the group.
The escapees never truly enjoyed a freedom as peloton offered at most a three-minute leash. Baudin also held a short-lived dream of yellow jersey - after he succeeded at securing it at Tour Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes month earlier - but a polka dot jersey was the maximum on offer today.
"This jersey is a reward for my efforts today. It wasn’t my main objective; I wanted to win the stage and take the Maillot Jaune. With the legs I had, I really believed I could do it. I felt really good – that’s a good sign for the days ahead. But UAE wanted to win the stage. And when I saw the gap closing on the final stretch along those wide roads, with a headwind, I had my doubts… But the polka-dot jersey is a consolation," he said in a press release.
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Dream come true
Regardless, this is a first major Grand Tour success for the 25-year-old Frenchman who now intends to fully enjoy the moment before stage 4, where he might have to set out on a defense of his lead.
"I can picture myself watching the Tour as a child, dreaming of that jersey. Along with the Yellow Jersey, it’s the one I’ve always wanted to wear one day. Now, you have to fight to keep a jersey. I’m going to try to recover and hold on to it for as long as possible."
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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