Markel Beloki wins his first professional title with the Tour de l’Ain

Markel Beloki continues to confirm that he is one of the great promises of Spanish cycling. Just a day after debuting his professional palmarès with a brilliant stage victory, the EF Education-EasyPost rider secured this Thursday the triumph in the general classification of the Tour de l’Ain 2026, the first stage race he conquers since turning professional.

Markel Beloki conquers the Tour de l’Ain and achieves the first general classification of his career

The Basque cyclist confidently defended the 52 seconds lead he had obtained the previous day and crossed the finish line in the favorites' group, enough to step onto the highest podium of the French event.

A final stage designed to test the leader

The third and final stage, 131.5 kilometers between Oyonnax and Lélex Monts-Jura, offered an explosive route with seven categorized climbs. The main difficulty was the Col de Menthières, a first-category climb of 9.1 kilometers at 7%, topped just over 20 kilometers from the finish.

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With the yellow jersey on his shoulders, Beloki faced a very different day than Wednesday. This time he did not need to attack, but to respond to the moves of his main rivals in the general classification.

After an unsuccessful early breakaway, the race was decided on the slopes of Menthières, where the pace of the group began to select the contenders for the final victory.

Beloki responds to all attacks

The decisive moment came when the Brazilian Henrique Bravo launched an attack on the final ascent. Beloki reacted immediately, accompanied by his teammate Jefferson Cepeda, as well as Jamie Meehan, Axel Mariault, and Huw Buck Jones, forming the group that would ultimately contest both the stage and the general classification.

During the last kilometers, Bravo and Nicola Conci tried to surprise the leader with several changes of pace, but the Spaniard responded authoritatively to all of them, remaining calm and collaborating in the group's efforts when necessary.

EF Education-EasyPost played their cards perfectly again. Cepeda tried his luck with an attack less than two kilometers from the finish, although he was neutralized in the final meters.

The stage victory ultimately went to the Frenchman Axel Mariault (CIC Pro Cycling Academy), who won the sprint ahead of Beloki and Brieuc Rolland (Groupama), while the Spanish rider definitively secured the triumph in the general classification.

A leap forward in his progression

At 21 years old, Beloki adds the biggest success of his still short sports career. The Basque had already shown his potential during the season with a solid performance in the Itzulia, where he finished 13th overall and was second in the young riders' classification, in addition to completing his debut in the Giro d'Italia.

The Tour de l’Ain now marks his first victory in a stage race as a professional and confirms the progression of a rider who had already stood out in lower categories with victory in the 2025 Tour of Alsace and the title of junior time trial champion of Spain in 2023.

With this victory, Beloki succeeds Cian Uijtdebroeks in the event's palmarès, winner of the 2025 edition, and inscribes his name alongside other winners of the Tour de l’Ain such as Primož Roglič or Thibaut Pinot.