Xabier Berasategi secured second place and 85 UCI points for Euskaltel-Euskadi at the 53rd Tour de Vendée, finishing just behind French sprint winner Alexis Renard. diariovasco.com reported that the 26-year-old Basque rider came within inches of claiming his first professional victory after nearly 200 kilometers of racing on Sunday, October 4, 2026.
The one-day French category 1.1 race covered 198.2 kilometers, starting in Saint-Jean-d’Hermine and concluding with a fast sprint finish in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie. Infobae.com noted that Cofidis rider Alexis Renard captured the victory, succeeding fellow Frenchman Dorian Godon in the race’s history, while Italian competitor Giovanni Lonardi of Polti VisiMalta rounded out the podium in third place.
How the 198-Kilometer French Classic Unfolded
The race began with a demanding profile featuring narrow roads and short, sharp climbs. According to team accounts reported by diariovasco.com, a strong tailwind prompted early aggressive racing, allowing an initial breakaway group to form. Berasategi and teammate Gari Ugarte both managed to infiltrate the front move. Ugarte suffered a mechanical setback when his chain dropped, forcing him back into the chasing group, but Berasategi pressed forward.
As the race approached its final circuits, the main peloton reeled in the remaining escapees to force a bunch sprint. Berasategi acknowledged the physical toll of the day in post-race comments: “We knew the race could be very hard today. The beginning was full of rolling hills and narrow roads; plus, tailwinds were expected, so a breakaway could form.” He added that despite feeling tired and harboring doubts ahead of the sprint, he conserved his energy and gave everything in the closing meters to secure second place.
UCI Points Haul Boosts Euskaltel-Euskadi Standings
The collective effort yielded 106 total UCI points for Euskaltel-Euskadi. Berasategi contributed 85 points for his runner-up finish, Gari Ugarte added 15 points for finishing 11th, and Louis Sutton (22nd) and Gotzon Martín (23rd) chipped in 3 points each.
This harvest of UCI points holds significant weight for the Basque squad as they battle MBH and Bardiani to climb the rankings and secure a coveted top-30 spot in the closing weeks of the 2026 season. A victory would have marked Euskaltel-Euskadi’s first triumph at the Tour de Vendée in 16 years, echoing Koldo Fernández de Larrea’s victory in 2010.
Consistent Season Results Confirm Strong Form
Sunday’s performance builds on a productive 2026 campaign for Berasategi. Earlier this year, the Ormaiztegi-born rider finished second overall at the Tour de Hainan, took second in a stage at the GP Anicolor while placing fourth in the general classification, and earned fifth-place finishes at both the GP Castellón and the GP La Marseillaise. He also recorded two top-five stage finishes at the Tour de Eslovenia and a ninth-place finish at the Clásica Castilla y León.
The strong results recently earned Berasategi a two-year contract extension with Euskaltel-Euskadi, cementing his role as a core component of the team’s future aspirations.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Race
Who won the 2026 Tour de Vendée?
French cyclist Alexis Renard of the Cofidis team won the 53rd edition of the race in a bunch sprint at Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie on October 4, 2026.
What was Xabier Berasategi’s previous best result in 2026?
Berasategi secured second place overall at the Tour de Hainan earlier in the season, in addition to a second-place stage finish at the GP Anicolor.
How many UCI points did Euskaltel-Euskadi collect at the event?
The team accumulated 106 total UCI points, led by Berasategi’s 85 points and supplemented by finishes from Gari Ugarte, Louis Sutton, and Gotzon Martín.
Worth a look
