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Niels Driesen makes his mark at Tour de l’Avenir with stage 1 victory

Talk about a flying start! Niels Driesen has won the opening stage of the Tour de l’Avenir. He came out on top in a three-man sprint against race favourite Lorenzo Finn and Norway’s Kasper Haugland. “This victory goes straight to the top of my list,” he beams.
20 August 2026
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For the first time in years, commercial development teams are once again allowed to take part, giving Lotto-Groupe Wanty the opportunity to send a strong line-up to what is often considered the Tour de France for U23 riders. And with immediate success, as Niels Driesen claimed the opening stage today. The Tour de l’Avenir– the name says it all– brings together some of the very best riders of tomorrow. It is one of the most prestigious races an U23 rider can win and often serves as a stepping stone towards the WorldTour. Recent winners include Tadej Pogačar, Egan Bernal and Isaac Del Toro, to name just a few. No surprise, then, that Driesen immediately ranks this stage victory at the very top of his already impressive list of wins. “I’ll do everything I can to defend this jersey,” he says.

The riders were treated to a hectic opening day. It felt like autumn in France, with plenty of wind and rain. With just over 70 kilometres remaining, crosswinds tore the peloton apart. “About 15 kilometres before that, Mathias (De Keersmaeker, ed.) and I had crashed. Luckily, I managed to get back and was in a good position going into the dangerous section that followed. That meant I was able to make that first echelon.”

A select group emerged at the front, including Driesen and race favourite Lorenzo Finn of Italy. The group quickly built up a sizeable advantage. “When Finn attacked on the Côte de Crennes, I was a little too far back and I thought I might be in trouble. But I still managed to catch him at the top. In the end, three of us remained, together with Kasper Haugland. To be honest, I didn’t expect to beat him in the sprint. I’m incredibly happy with this victory. I’ve also already gained some time on a few of the other GC contenders, so that’s an important bonus.”

Niels Driesen has already won the overall classification at the Ronde de l’Isard and a stage of the Giro Ciclistico della Valle d’Aosta – Mont Blanc this season.

 

Picture: Quentin Joly/ Tour de L'Avenir