Tour Cycliste de La Réunion 2026: A Week of Racing Redefines the Island’s Cycling Future
A roadside spectator handing a stranger his bicycle so a race could continue tells you everything about what the Tour cycliste de La Réunion means to this island. That moment, during stage two in the eastern part of Reunion, captured the spirit of the 79th edition, which ran from August 1 through 9 and drew 78 elite riders alongside hundreds more competing across four additional race categories. Full coverage is available at la1ere.franceinfo.fr/reunion/tour-cycliste-de-la-reunion-2026-le-bilan-de-cette-edition-du-renouveau-1726753.html.
Additional reference context is available at https://la1ere.franceinfo.fr/reunion/tour-cycliste-de-la-reunion-2026-le-bilan-de-cette-edition-du-renouveau-1726753.html.
The elite tour covered more than 580 kilometers of racing terrain. It opened with a prologue on the velodrome on Monday and wound through seven road stages across some of the island’s most striking landscapes before concluding on Sunday at the Barachois in Saint-Denis, one of Reunion’s most iconic public spaces. Significant elevation changes, mechanical failures, crashes, and tactical attacks kept the competition fluid throughout the week.
Tristan Hardy, an 18-year-old Mauritian rider competing for team MCB, emerged as the most consistent performer. He claimed the prologue victory and the first yellow jersey on Monday, then showed his focus after losing the jersey during the third stage. His regularity across all seven stages secured him overall victory, making him the third Mauritian cyclist to win the Tour cycliste de La Réunion, following Gabriel Azanor in 1975 and Christopher Lagane in 2017 and 2018.
The race, though, belonged to the entire cycling community. Anthony Pothin of VCSD, the current time-trial champion of Reunion, finished third overall and wore the yellow jersey between stages three and five. Timothé Gonzalez of CCSL claimed stage six and finished second overall. Antony Chamerat-Dumont of VCO-VSP won stage two, while Guillaume Deurweilher took stage five. Solal Bénitière, a young Parisian rider who entered at the last moment through a partnership between the Vélo Club des Jeunes cyclistes de Curepipe and Paris Cycliste Olympique, finished with the polka-dot jersey despite his mechanical failure on stage two. After his bike broke down, that spectator stepped in with a borrowed bicycle, and Bénitière completed the stage.
Michel Bénard, the tour’s organizer, was measured but clear-eyed about what Hardy’s victory revealed. “When you see the level of Tristan Hardy, you realize we are not really far behind,” Bénard said. “The Reunionnese do not have the opportunity to travel abroad for racing like the Mauritians do. Despite that, we are doing quite well. Perhaps this will give them some ambitions to travel for better preparation.”
By contrast, the women’s and youth races made their own statement about the tour’s reach. Claire Nédelec won the women’s tour, while Marie Heinrich Furenzula claimed the under-19 women’s title. Nine women started the women’s race, competing alongside the other categories to represent the full spectrum of Reunion’s cycling culture. Bénard was direct about their place in the event, stressing that overlooking women’s cycling during such a high-profile occasion would have been a serious mistake. Masters-category riders and young cyclists also competed, extending the tour’s relevance well beyond the elite peloton.
Bénard called this edition the “edition of renewal,” a phrase that carried weight given the previous year’s cancellation. “I had a score to settle with last year,” he said. “I retain the smiles of everyone, the thanks. All the riders who came to see me and shake my hand, hold it tight. That is what delights us and makes us realize we came very close to perfection.”
The organizer anticipates that the renewed energy and media attention surrounding the tour will boost cycling licenses at Reunion’s cycling committee and attract new sponsors. Whether the island’s riders take Bénard’s implicit challenge and seek more racing abroad may shape how competitive the 80th edition looks when it arrives.