After winning the overall classification and two stages in 2025, our Team approached the 2026 Tour du Poitou-Charentes with ambition. After four stages, our review is positive.
Tesson won in Lezay
The opening stage was expected to end in a mass sprint, but unfortunately, a crash inside the final two kilometres disrupted the finish. A frustrating finish in Dompierre-sur-Mer for our sprinter Jason Tesson, who was held up by the crash.
The following day, the Team was determined to put Jason Tesson in the best possible position.
Mission accomplished in Lezay ! Perfectly led out and protected by his teammates, Jason Tesson proved to be the fastest rider in the bunch.
A particularly special success for the sprinter, coming exactly one year after his victory on the opening stage of the 2025 edition :
“We really wanted to make this sprint count after the huge frustration of yesterday. The guys did another great job positioning me and protecting me from the wind. It’s a great way to build on a very good month of August and the strong momentum within the whole team. Without such a united and committed team, we wouldn’t have had the same day.
I’m really happy to win here, exactly one year after my victory on the first stage. Hopefully, this will be the start of a great run of results for the team.”
Leroux confirms
With several specialists in the discipline, including Thibault Guernalec, Thomas Gachignard and Samuel Leroux, Team TotalEnergies had several strong cards to play in the individual time trial.
Once again, the Team delivered, with two riders finishing inside the stage’s top 10. Samuel Leroux produced a particularly strong performance, taking fifth place at an average speed of more than 53 km/h.
A podium finish for the Team
The final stage, heading towards Poitiers, lived up to expectations.
Inside the final ten kilometres, the peloton finally split apart, leaving the outcome wide open. Without Jason Tesson, Samuel Leroux anticipated the sprint perfectly by taking the wheel of Milan Fretin, who would go on to win the stage. Our French Rider secured an excellent fourth place.
That result earned him third place on the final overall podium.
Behind him, Thibault Guernalec and Thomas Gachignard rounded off Team TotalEnergies overall performance, finishing 11th and 14th respectively in the general classification.
On to Plouay and the Bretagne Classic
As every year, the Tour du Poitou-Charentes marks the end of August and is following by the Bretagne Classic, which takes place this Sunday in Plouay.
It is also an opportunity for our Team to bring all of its teams together : the CREF will be in action this Friday in the junior race, followed by Vendée U – Primeo Energie on Sunday morning and the professional Team in the afternoon.
Our line-up : Thomas Bonnet, Mathieu Burgaudeau, Joris Delbove, Alexandre Delettre, Mathis Le Berre, Pierre Thierry, Mattéo Vercher.
