Promoted this year to .Pro race status, the Région Pays de la Loire Tour opened under the sign of fast wheels and, in particular, of Ethan Vernon. It was indeed the British sprinter racing for NSN Cycling Team who conquered the inaugural stage (the Fontevraud-l'Abbaye-Vertou of 187.5 kilometers) of the short French stage race, surpassing in a one-sided sprint Erlend Blikra (Uno-X Mobility) and his compatriot Noah Hobbs (EF Education-EasyPost).

This winning exploit, the third of the season following those at the Tour Down Under in January and the Volta Ciclista Catalunya last month, also earned him the first leader's jersey of the general classification where, thanks to the 10" time bonus gained at the finish line, he leads by 4 seconds over the trio composed of the same Blikra, Belgian Unibet Rose Rockets' Lander Loockx and Dutch Euskaltel-Euskadi's Axel van der Tuuk.

The stage was dominated by the long breakaway of Lander Loockx (Unibet Rose Rockets), Mikel Xabier Azparren (Pinarello-Q36.5), Gabriele Bessega (Polti VisitMalta), Axel van der Tuuk (Euskaltel-Euskadi), Clement Davy (Nice Métropole Côte d'Azur), Kevin Avoine (Van Rysel Roubaix) and Santiago Ferraro (Bardiani CSF 7 Saber). After the latter dropped off just under forty kilometers from the finish, the six remained compact in the lead until the -22 km mark when Bessega and Davy, with the peloton now on their heels, tried as a pair to breathe new life into the attempt.

The group, however, led by the NSN men, gave them no room and 15 kilometers from the finish, during the penultimate lap of the 8.9-kilometer circuit around Vertou, it relentlessly reabsorbed them, returning in this way compact.

As expected from the eve, it thus arrived in a sprint where, after the excellent work done by his teammates in the final thousands of meters, Vernon did not disappoint expectations, taking the victory in a clear manner ahead of Blikra (who was left to manage once he hit the final straight) and a Hobbs capable, in slight comeback, of concluding on the third step of the day's podium.

Vernon, therefore, will depart tomorrow as race leader of the trans-Alpine stage race, a position that, considering the simple profile of the La Garnache-Les Sables-d'Olonne (153.6km), he could defend if not even strengthen in case of a personal repeat.

FINISHING ORDER

1. Ethan Vernon (GBR/NSN Cycling) - 3:56:40

2. Erlend Blikra (NOR/Uno-X Mobility) - s.t.

3. Noah Hobbs (GBR/EF Education-EasyPost) - s.t.

4. Paul Penhoët (FRA/Groupama-FDJ United) - s.t.

5. Joes Oosterlinck (BEL/Van Rysel-Roubaix) - s.t.

6. Corbin Strong (NZL/NSN Cycling) - s.t.

7. Manuel Peñalver (SPA/Polti-VisitMalta) - s.t.

8. Jason Tesson (FRA/TotalEnergies) - s.t.

9. Nolan Huysmans (BEL/Flanders-Baloise) - s.t.

10. Clément Venturini (FRA/Unibet Rose Rockets) - s.t.

GENERAL CLASSIFICATION

1. Ethan Vernon (GBR/NSN Cycling) - 3:56:30

2. Erlend Blikra (NOR/Uno-X Mobility) at 0:04

3. Lander Loockx (BEL/Unibet Rose Rockets) at 0:04

4. Axel van der Tuuk (NED/Euskaltel-Euskadi) at 0:04

5. Noah Hobbs (GBR/EF Education-EasyPost) at 0:06

6. Kévin Avoine (FRA/Van Rysel-Roubaix) at 0:06

7. Gabriele Bessega (ITA/Polti-VisitMalta) at 0:09

8. Santiago Ferraro (ITA/Bardiani-CSF-7Saber) at 0:09

9. Paul Penhoët (FRA/Groupama-FDJ United) at 0:10

10. Joes Oosterlinck (BEL/Van Rysel-Roubaix) at 0:10

OTHER CLASSIFICATIONS

Points classification: Ethan Vernon (GBR/NSN Cycling)

Mountain classification: Kevin Avoine (FRA/Van Rysel Roubaix)

Best young rider classification: Noah Hobbs (GBR/EF Education-EasyPost)

Team classification: Polti VisitMalta (ITA)