The win has brought him within touching distance of the points jersey ahead of Thursday’s final day of racing in France.

The British sprinter was set up by his EF Education-Aevolo teammates on stage 6 between Missillac and Le Pertre after a day of cross-wind chaos and late attacks, before a huge turn from Gavin Hlady helped launch Noah towards the finishing straight. 

“There were cross-winds all day, but we kept our eyes peeled and made sure that we were up there and near the front. I wasn’t feeling great at the start, but then all the guys on the team came around me and brought me to the front on the local laps, and that’s when I started to feel better,” Noah said after his fifth win of what’s already been a memorable inaugural season for EF Education-Aevolo.

In the closing kilometers, several rivals broke away with move after move escaping from the bunch. When Noah finally reached the front inside the final 400m, there were still two riders ahead of him, but he launched a long-range sprint, catching the two escapees and holding off the charge from the remaining sprinters.

“Linus Larsson kept me in position for the early laps, and then Gavin took over at the end, at the most important part when those two guys were away. He did a great job helping to pull the last couple of riders back. I could use those final two guys as targets and catch them with around 150 meters to go. It was a solid sprint, but I was still waiting for someone to come over the top, as I had to start my sprint with 300m to go. It was pretty nerve-wracking, but it worked out well in the end,” Noah said.

The win puts Noah just three points off the points jersey lead, and with one stage to go, the green jersey is within touching distance. Whatever the result on Thursday, though, the rider and his teammates can be incredibly proud of their efforts in France this week.

Green jersey or not, Noah will leave the race with two five-foot teddy bears as prizes, having received one after each of his victories during the podium celebrations. On stage 2, following his win in Le Cambout, Noah was presented with the oversized bear by none other than Tour de France legend Bernard Hinault.

“I’ve got a second bear, and I’ve got no idea how I’m going to get them home,” he said. “The first one is just chilling in the mechanics’ truck right now, but I’ve honestly got no idea how I’m going to get them into my apartment in Girona or back to London. We’ve not named either of them yet, so if anyone has any suggestions, I’m all ears."

For sports director Mike Creed, the week has already been a significant success as the EF Education-Aevolo go into the final stage excited and ready for one last adventure, and perhaps the chance of adding one final bear to Noah’s collection.

“The guys were great. There were so many strong attacks, and we were down to just four riders, but we kept working hard to support Noah and chased down several key moves. Gavin chased so hard, doing an incredibly clutch job for Noah. And with Noah, he’s shown that once he’s got a clear run at the line, he’s so hard to come around,” Mike said. “Congratulations go to Noah and the team because they’ve worked well this week and raced their hearts out for the jersey and each other.”