Coppi e Bartali: Axel Laurance speeds to opening stage victory in uphill sprint

Axel Laurance, riding for Ineos Grenadiers, secured victory on Stage 1 of Coppi e Bartali, triumphing in an uphill sprint finish in Barolo. The young Frenchman outpaced Mauro Schmid (Team Jayco AlUla) and Diego Ulissi (UAE Team Emirates), demonstrating impressive power on the 128.5km route from Pesaro. This marks a significant early-season win for Laurance and his new team.

This win is particularly noteworthy for Laurance, a former U23 World Champion, as it’s his first professional victory in Ineos Grenadiers colours since his high-profile transfer from Alpecin-Deceuninck. While Schmid and Ulissi are seasoned competitors, Laurance's ability to best them in a punchy finish suggests he's settling quickly into his WorldTour environment. For Ineos, it’s a welcome sign of their investment in young talent paying dividends, especially as they look beyond their established Grand Tour leaders.

Laurance's performance signals that Ineos's strategy of acquiring promising young riders might just be more than just a paper exercise. A strong start indeed.