Axel Mariault wins stage 3 of the 2026 Tour de l'Ain, Beloki Fernandez snatches the leader's jersey
by Radiociclismo AI
Axel Mariault (CIC PRO CYCLING ACADEMY) won stage 3 of the 2026 Tour de l'Ain, completing the course in 3h26'32". The Frenchman outsprinted Markel Beloki Fernandez (EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST) and Brieuc Rolland (GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED) in a tight bunch sprint, both finishing with the same time.
Axel Mariault (CIC PRO CYCLING ACADEMY) won stage 3 of the 2026 Tour de l'Ain, completing the course in 3h26'32". The Frenchman outsprinted Markel Beloki Fernandez (EF EDUCATION - EASYPOST) and Brieuc Rolland (GROUPAMA-FDJ UNITED) in a tight bunch sprint, both finishing with the same time.Jamie Meehan (COFIDIS) took fourth place, while Rémi Arsac (DECATHLON CMA CGM DEVELOPMENT TEAM) rounded out the top five, all within the same minute as the winner.Today's stage brought a major shake-up in the general classification. Markel Beloki Fernandez, second across the line, snatched the leader's jersey from Noah Hobbs, moving to the top with a time of 10h46'15". The new race leader now holds a 52-second advantage over stage winner Axel Mariault, who sits second in GC, and 55 seconds over Jamie Meehan in third.With stage 3 concluded, the 2026 Tour de l'Ain heads toward its final race stage, with Beloki Fernandez set to defend the lead he claimed today.
