SAINT-GILLES-CROIX-DE-VIE — Alexis Renard sprinted to his first professional victory at the Tour de Vendée, winning in 4:05:32 in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie ahead of Xabier Berasategi (Euskaltel-Euskadi) in second and Giovanni Lonardi (Polti VisitMalta) in third. The 27-year-old Frenchman, typically a lead-out man for Bryan Coquard at Cofidis, delivered the team's second win of the weekend after teammate Jenthe Biermans won the Cholet Agglo Tour on Saturday.
The 198.2km race started in Saint-Jean-d’Hermine and passed through Chantonnay and its Côte du Gîte climb before heading west to the first-time coastal finish. An 18-rider breakaway including Renard and teammate Paul Ourselin escaped after 50 kilometres, building more than a minute and spending 87 kilometres off the front before being reeled in. After the final breakaway was caught inside seven kilometres to go, teams jostled on two 10km laps followed by three 3km finishing circuits featuring three main corners and road furniture, with Cofidis pushing to regroup before the final decisive corner.
Renard was slated to lead out Coquard but found himself in position to sprint. “I was leading Bryan out again today, but I came past him a bit too quickly in the finale; when I launched, or rather, when I intended to launch him, I saw the 200m sign and thought, ‘Right, this should work’,” Renard said. “I was strong yesterday, too. I broke my derailleur but managed to get back to the peloton from a long way back. So, we had high ambitions this weekend for the team and Bryan, and that I’m the one who won today is just incredible. It’s my first professional victory, something I’m really going to savour.”
He added perspective on the early move: “Honestly, I thought it [the break] was going to go to the end, but TotalEnergies wasn't rolling so it's a bit disorganised. In the end, we tried to re-mobilise with Jenthe and Bryan to try to lead him out. Finally I managed to get the victory, so it stays in the team and that’s always good.” Two riders, Léandre Huck (Van Rysel Roubaix) and Enzo Paleni (Groupama-FDJ United), countered after the big break was caught but were reeled in after the first small lap as Decathlon CMA CGM and Groupama-FDJ United set the pace in the criterium-style finale.
Clément Venturini (Unibet Rose Rockets) finished 15th to secure the FDJ United Series title for the second consecutive year in the 13th and final race of the season, a series formerly known as the Coupe de France. Coquard finished seventh on the day for Cofidis, with Rasmus Pedersen and Joren Bloem rounding out the top five behind Lonardi.