In this opening stage of the French stage race, where Team Visma | Lease a Bike started with a young squad, all eyes quickly turned to the Col de Portes. On the climb, young Tim Rex—who will move up to the WorldTour team next year—took control and significantly reduced the peloton.

Thanks to Rex’s hard work, only a small group remained with 35 kilometers to go. Tulett was the first to launch an attack. The young Brit, together with Uijtdebroeks, caused a selection but couldn’t prevent the reduced group from staying together until the finish. The black-and-yellow squad ultimately finished with five riders in the front group.

“The result doesn’t reflect the strength of our team,” said sports director Robert Wagner. “We knew it would be a tough day, but we wanted to test ourselves. In the finale, we tried to set Ben up, but he wasn’t in the right position to sprint all-out. Still, I’m satisfied with how things went and I’ve seen how strong we are as a team. The next two stages suit us better, and we’ll be aiming for a stage win and a strong overall result.”

Wagner didn’t just praise the collective effort, he also had high praise for the young Rex. “Tim rode an amazing stage. He spent the first 110 kilometers at the front and then made the race hard on the final climb. That’s fantastic. He’s making great progress, which is becoming increasingly visible in races. It’s a pleasure to have such a talented young rider on the team.”