Star of Bessèges 2026
1. etapa (Bellegarde – Bellegarde, 150.1 km):
Slovak cyclist Lukáš Kubiš was very close to claiming his second professional victory at club level.
The Unibet Rose Rockets rider was one of the favorites in the opening stage of the Etoile de Bessèges race, but he was the first loser at the finish line.
The stage had a flat character, while the finish area was walked up to three times. The latter was the most difficult of the entire route, when the last 700 meters were characterized by an ascent with an average gradient of 7.9 percent.
Until the final kilometer, the pair of Léandre Huck and Victor Vercouillie were leading, but both of them ran out of strength in the aforementioned hill.
VIDEO: End of the 1st stage of the Etoile de Bessèges 2026 race
Approximately 300 meters before the finish line, Kubiš seized his chance, whose acceleration was only responded to by 20-year-old Belgian Tom Crabbe.
The Slovak champion entered the last left-hand turn (100 m to the finish, note) in first place, but then his young opponent surprised him. You entered the corner from the outside, had a better exit and won.
“It’s crazy, really great. I felt really strong at the end. Kubiš went through the last corner on the inside, I chose the outside line and then I went full throttle,” the Belgian TV Sporza quoted the Belgian as saying.
Grabbe took his first professional victory, also the first for Pro Team Flanders – Baloise since 2024, and took the race leader’s jersey.
