Alex Aranburu secured a dramatic victory at the Bretagne Classic 2026 in Plouay, France, launching a decisive attack inside the final two kilometers to claim his third win of the season and a major WorldTour one-day success for Team Cofidis, according to race reports from cycling publications.
How Alex Aranburu Forged His Winning Move in Plouay
The 228.3-kilometer French WorldTour classic culminated in a tense tactical battle across the undulating roads of Brittany. According to race accounts, a select group of contenders emerged following a fractured peloton and a flurry of late-race aggression in the closing circuits. With the bunch threatening to swallow the remaining attackers, Aranburu made his decisive acceleration inside the final two kilometers—specifically noted at 1.8 kilometers to go by Ciclismo al Día and at 1.5 kilometers in the côte de Ty-Marrec by Today Cycling.
The 30-year-old Basque rider caught the front group napping and immediately established a valuable gap. Alexander Kamp of Uno-X Mobility initiated a fierce chase in the final kilometer, but the chaser ran out of road. Aranburu held his advantage all the way to the finish line to claim the victory.
Podium Finishers and Key Contenders
Behind the Cofidis rider, Alexander Kamp crossed the line to take second place for Uno-X Mobility, while Alessandro Borgo secured third for Bahrain – Victorious, rounding out the official podium in Plouay.
Several other aggressive riders animated the French classic’s final phases. Paul Lapeira of Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale sparked several moves inside the last seven kilometers, ultimately finishing sixth. French national champion Romain Grégoire of Groupama-FDJ took seventh, and Alexandre Delettre of TotalEnergies finished ninth, according to race results.
A Costly Crash and Early Breakaways
The race was heavily shaped by attrition and misfortune earlier in the afternoon. Approximately 50 kilometers from the finish, a massive crash involving roughly ten riders split the peloton. The incident collected Paul Magnier of Soudal – Quick-Step, one of the race favorites and a recent winner of the BEMER Cyclassics, forcing him to abandon the race with injuries.
Before the late-race chaos, an early breakaway animated the opening hours. Riders including Sjoerd Bax, Markus Hoelgaard, Alexy Faure Prost, Emil Herzog, and a persistent Baptiste Veistroffer built an advantage that hovered around three minutes before the WorldTour teams began reeling them back in for the finale.
A Historic Weekend for Team Cofidis
Aranburu’s triumph capped off a phenomenal weekend for Team Cofidis. Just one day prior, teammate Bryan Coquard secured a stage victory at the Vuelta a España—marking a rare and celebrated double success across two major stages of the international calendar for the French squad.
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