The 2026 Alpes-Maritimes Tour concluded in Biot after 155 kilometers of racing. Paul Lapeira won after an offensive final. Lenny Martinez animated the race for over thirty kilometers. Clément Champoussin scores another top 10 finish in a supporting role.
Paul Lapeira raised his arms in Biot in this 2026 edition of the Alpes-Maritimes Tour after attacking in the final meters of the final climb. The 2024 French champion defeated Christian Scaroni and Simon Carr. The race was decided in a tense finale after more than 3.5 hours of racing.
One hundred sixty-seven riders started in Villefranche-sur-Mer. The peloton crossed through Contes, Carros, Vence, Tourrettes-sur-Loup and Valbonne before reaching Biot. The pace was sustained from the first hour, with an average close to 44 km/h, including the Col d’Èze.
A nervous race from the first kilometers
Nine riders escaped on the first climb. Guillaume Martin-Guyonnet was in this group. Nicolas Vinokourov joined the front later. The peloton controlled the gap before catching the escapees on the Col de Carros.
Attacks then multiplied on the same slopes. Vlad Van Mechelen, Oscar Chamberlain, Niels Driesen and Cedrik Bakke Christophersen created a gap of around forty seconds. XDS Astana led the chase. The gap gradually closed.
An incident marked the approach to the Gourdon climb. Warren Barguil crashed on a descent causing his abandonment. The verdict is clear: fractured collarbone.
The Gourdon climb regrouped the favorites. The pace caused a clear selection more than 40 kilometers from the finish. Lenny Martinez attacked sharply. Marco Brenner followed immediately. Aurélien Paret-Peintre and Ewen Costiou attempted to follow the move before losing some ground.
Lenny Martinez started the battle, Lapeira finished it
Lenny Martinez imposed a high tempo at the head of the race. The gap oscillated around thirty seconds. Collaboration with Marco Brenner allowed them to maintain a significant lead for more than twenty kilometers. Five kilometers from the line, the margin remained close to twenty seconds.
The rider from Cannes put pressure on the race and forced the favorite teams to organize themselves. However, the leading duo hesitated as the final climb approached. This hesitation relaunched the chase.
Paul Lapeira launched a counterattack at the foot of the final climb. The junction was made 600 meters from the line. The effort continued to the summit. Christian Scaroni attempted to react without managing to close the gap. The Italian did not retain the title he won last year. Simon Carr completed the podium.
Lenny Martinez was caught in the final hectometers. Fifth place rewarded an offensive lasting more than thirty kilometers. The rider from Cannes showed his ability to intensify the race on climbs and maintain a tight gap against an organized peloton.
Clément Champoussin finished ninth for XDS Astana Team. The performance was built on consistency. Clément Champoussin remained in contact with the main groups at key moments. The top 10 finish confirmed his strength on a demanding course.
At the finish, Paul Lapeira said: “we had good weather, it’s a change from the last few weeks we had a bit more in the north. It was hard all day, we didn’t get much relief but it’s good. On the Gourdon climb, Lenny Martinez and Marco Brenner attacked. I felt good on that climb, so I chose to stay behind. I had great legs, there was a moment when I thought we wouldn’t make it because we were staying 20, 30 seconds back and there was only us really driving the chase. It was mainly risky on my part to go from the foot of the final climb. I had enough resources to do it so I’m really very happy.”
The Alpes-Maritimes Tour standings
- Paul Lapeira (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) 3’38’08
- Christian Scaroni (XDS Astana Team) +0’02
- Simon Carr (Cofidis)
- Marco Brenner (Tudor Pro Cycling Team)
- Lenny Martinez (Bahrain – Victorious)
- Ewen Costiou (Groupama – FDJ United)
- Axel Mariault (CIC Pro Cycling Academy)
- Nicolas Breuillard (TotalEnergies)
- Clément Champoussin (XDS Astana Team)
- Andrea Mifsud (Team Polti VisitMalta)
NicePremium is a free, independent local news outlet.
Help us keep going by supporting our work from €5 per month.
