Markel Beloki claims Tour de l'Ain stage win and overall lead
Spanish 21‑year‑old rider Markel Beloki of EF Education‑EasyPost won Stage 2 of the 2026 Tour de l'Ain. He attacked with about 9.5 km to go on the double ascent of the Col de Portes and finished 54 seconds ahead of Noa Isidore, taking the yellow jersey as the new race leader. The 162‑km stage ran from Saint‑Vulbas to Lagnieu and featured two climbs of the 14.6‑km Col de Portes (average 5.4% gradient). Beloki's victory gave him his first professional win, following a stage win at the 2025 Tour de Alsace and a junior Spanish time‑trial title in 2023.
The podium was completed by Noa Isidore in second place and Nicola Conci in third. Other riders in the leading group included Henrique Bravo, Jamie Meehan, Axel Mariault, Rémi Arsac and Jefferson Alexander Cepeda. Beloki's performance moved him into the overall lead with a one‑minute advantage over his rivals.
The win solidifies Beloki’s rising profile in professional cycling and gives EF Education‑EasyPost a strong position heading into the final stage of the race.
Entities: EF Education‑EasyPost · Markel Beloki · Nicola Conci · Noa Isidore · Tour de l'Ain
Claims
What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.
- [● 3 SOURCES] Beloki finished 54 seconds ahead of Noa Isidore. (single)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Beloki took the overall lead (yellow jersey) after the stage. (single)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Beloki is 21 years old and rides for EF Education‑EasyPost. (single)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Stage 2 was 162 km from Saint‑Vulbas to Lagnieu and included two ascents of the Col de Portes (14.6 km, 5.4% average gradient). (single)
- [● 2 SOURCES] Beloki previously won a stage at the 2025 Tour de Alsace and was the 2023 Spanish junior time‑trial champion. (single)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Noa Isidore finished second and Nicola Conci finished third. (single)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Beloki launched his decisive attack with about 9.5 km remaining. (single)
- [● 3 SOURCES] Markel Beloki won Stage 2 of the 2026 Tour de l'Ain. (single)