Noah’s EF Education-Aevolo teammates huddled round him to celebrate once they had crossed the line. A day after Josh Golliker’s second place on the opening stage, they’d done a huge job to keep Noah safe in the bunch, as rain battered down on them and wind blasted across the fields of northern France. The peloton raced each of the three first-category climbs on the course flat out and kept the pace high onto the hilly finishing circuit around Le Cambout. Going into the final kilometers, our squad led Noah to the front of the peloton. He took it from there, keeping his cool when a lone attacker took off with 3.5 kilometers to go. The chase from the peloton was faltering inside half a kilometer to go. Then, the finish line came in sight and Noah took charge. He burst up the last uphill drag, leaving the peloton behind him and passing the solo attacker in the final meters. As he roared under the victory banner, he threw his arms in the air.

“It was pretty hard, pretty full on the whole day,” Noah said after the finish. “The hills were hard. Everyone smashed it up there. We got to the finale and it was a bit wet. Everyone was a bit nervous. I had the guys around me, which was good for the finale and then I just lit up in the sprint.”

Tomorrow, Noah and his EF Education-Aevolo teammates will race to defend Noah’s sprinter’s jersey, as the race travels across the hills of Brittany from Loudeac to Ploneour Lanvern for the third of seven stages. Back in 2023, Noah finished second in the sprint competition and he wants to do better this year.

“I have the best memories of this race,” Noah says. “I’d come on the podium a couple of times, so it's nice to go win a stage. It was what we hoped for to try and get a jersey out of this, so now it just about trying to keep it.”

Congratulations, Noah! And best of luck tomorrow, EF Education-Aevolo!