Published on : 09/16/2026
On the first stage of the Tour of Slovakia, a sprint decided the winner, with Paul Magnier raising his arms in victory. Thanks to a strong lead-out from the team, Jenthe Biermans finished second. This bodes well for tomorrow’s second stage.
The Tour of Slovakia is underway and, for the first time since 2020, the team is on the start line. The first stage featured a winding route with several challenges in the final stretch, though without any steep gradients. It was therefore a sprint that decided the winner, and thanks to a strong team effort, Jenthe Biermans secured an impressive second place. There was nothing he could do against Paul Magnier, but he showed that he is in good form and will be one to watch over the coming days.
Quotes
Jenthe Biermans
"I was in good form and felt strong on the climbs. The team did a brilliant job; I followed Yael and Benjamin in the final stretch, which was quite dangerous with motorbikes in the peloton. In the end, Paul Magnier was simply too strong, but I’m pleased with my form, especially after falling ill in Germany. I reckon there’ll be a sprint tomorrow and on Saturday, so I’ll do my utmost to make the most of my chances, and even though Paul is very strong, I’ll be there too.”
Evaldas Siskevicius
“Obviously, Paul Magnier was the clear favourite, but we also wanted to be in contention for the final. The team did a brilliant job and Jenthe is pleased too to have rediscovered that great feeling. Tomorrow, there’s likely to be a sprint, but we’ll need to be careful at the start of the stage, which looks very tough. But we’ll be there to put Jenthe in the best possible position once again.”