Published on : 07/03/2026
Yesterday, Martina Alzini and Krystina Burlova secured the team’s first one-two finish of the race after a bunch sprint. On Friday, it was Marion Borras and Victoire Berteau’s turn to lock out the top two places in the individual time trial. A remarkable display – and it’s not over yet, with two stages still to come!
Last night, on the journey back to the hotel, Martina Alzini and Gaétan Lemoine shared a similar message. Martina said that “there will still be plenty of opportunities for the team”, while Gaétan echoed her confidence: “We can shine as early as Friday’s time trial.” Buoyed by the previous day’s victory, the riders approached today’s time trial full of confidence.
The course was short (10.8 km) and completely flat – the perfect profile for Marion Borras, who duly delivered. Marion set the fastest time after coming close to victory on several occasions this season, finishing sixth in the time trial at the Vuelta a Extremadura, fourth at the Bretagne Ladies Tour and sixth at the French National Championships. It was the perfect response from the rider, who was also among the first in the team to extend her contract this season, keeping her with the squad until 2028.
Victoire Berteau back at her best
Behind Marion, the next fastest rider was none other than Victoire Berteau. Race after race, the Frenchwoman is proving that she is back competing at the highest level. After returning from injury at the CIC-Tour Féminin International des Pyrénées and the Volta a Catalunya Femenina, Victoire claimed 10th place at the French National Championships before finishing fifth on Stage 1 of the Tour of Portugal two days ago. With two stages still remaining, Marion, Victoire and the rest of the team will be looking to add to their impressive performances.
The reactions:
Marion Borras:
“It felt like a long day! I went out in the first half of the field, so I had to wait all afternoon. I only started to get nervous when I saw Victoire was ahead at the intermediate split, but because it was her, it didn’t bother me too much (laughs)! Winning is really great, especially with such a strong field. The French Championships were tough, and I was determined to bounce back. Now there are two rounds left, and we’ve still got a great chance to achieve something. We’re going to give it everything we’ve got!”
Gaétan Lemoine, Sports Director:
“It was a fast 10.8 km time trial, the kind of course that really suits the pure specialists. Marion (Borras) was determined to bounce back after her disappointment at the French National Championships. She responded brilliantly and showed real resilience. We saw her fighting spirit again, along with her ability to produce a very fast ride. It’s a fantastic victory for her. Victoire’s second place was the icing on the cake – she also produced an excellent time trial. It’s another superb one-two finish after yesterday’s. We’ve still got two stages left to fight for the overall classification at the Tour of Portugal. We’re ambitious – and we want even more!”
