Cofidis 2026 Tour de France team guide: All in for breakaways and sprints
The French team last tasted victory on the biggest stage back in 2023 via Ion Izagirre. The form of the 37-year-old alongside another Basque rider, Alex Aranburu, will give Cofidis belief that another illustrious Tour stage win is possible. Here is a look at who will feature for Cofidis in the 2026 Tour de France.
2025 Tour de France:
- 2025 Tour stage wins: 0
- 2025 Best GC finish: 30th Emanuel Buchmann
2026 Objectives:
The French team arrives at the Tour with a clear objective: to win stages. Cofidis will target opportunities in bunch sprints, hilly stages and mountain breakaways.
Milan Fretin will be the main option in the sprints, supported by Piet Allegaert, Jenthe Biermans, Alex Kirsch, Hugo Page and Benjamin Thomas.
“Our goal is clear: to win one or more stages,” said general manager Raphaël Jeune. “Milan Fretin will be our main asset in the sprints.”
Alex Aranburu and Ion Izagirre will lead the team on more demanding terrain. Aranburu will target hilly finishes and reduced group sprints, while Izagirre will look for opportunities from breakaways in the mountains.
Benjamin Thomas will act as road captain, giving Cofidis an experienced and versatile squad capable of competing across different types of stages.
“Every stage is a Classic and every stage must be seen as an opportunity to win,” added Jeune.
Cofidis 2026 Tour de France line up
| Rider | Nation | Tour appearances (not inc 2026) | Stage wins | Best GC finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Ion Izagirre | Spain | 11 | 2 | 22nd (2018) |
Alex Aranburu | Spain | 4 | 0 | 52nd (2023) |
Milan Fretin | Belgium | 0 | 0 | n/a |
Hugo Page | France | 2 | 0 | 117th (2024) |
Benjamin Thomas | France | 2 | 0 | 53rd (2022) |
Alex Kirsch | Luxembourg | 2 | 0 | 115th (2023) |
Jenthe Biermans | Belgium | 1 | 0 | 128th (2023) |
Piet Allegaert | Belgium | 1 | 0 | 114th (2024) |
🇪🇸 Ion Izagirre (37): The 37-year-old will line up for his twelfth and final Tour de France as he is set to retire at the end of the season. A former two-time stage winner in 2016 and 2023, Izagirre has enjoyed one of the strongest campaigns of his career with results including winning the GP Miguel Indurain for a record-equalling third time, finishing fourth at his home race, Itzulia Basque Country and seventh at Paris-Nice.
🇧🇪 Milan Fretin (25): The Belgian sprinter is making his Tour debut after a solid campaign which includes a stage victory at the Ruta Del Sol in February. Fretin finished runner-up on a stage in his Grand Tour debut at the Giro in 2025.
🇱🇺 Alex Kirsch (34): The Luxembourg rider made the switch for 2026 after seven seasons at Lidl-Trek, where he raced six Grand Tours, including the Tour twice.
🇫🇷 Hugo Page (24): The French fastman rode the last two Tours for Intermarché-Wanty, and will line up for his hat-trick appearance.
🇪🇸 Alex Aranburu (30): Super consistent over the years, Aranburu is arguably enjoying the best season of his career to date. The Basque rider won a stage of his home race, Itzulia Basque Country, before more recently taking a stage at the Baloise Belgium Tour. He slipped out of the race lead on the final stage, but will have the form and confidence to target a first Grand Tour stage win.
🇧🇪 Piet Allegaert (31): The 31-year-old Belgian is experienced in the leadout train and navigating the chaos of the fast-paced finishes. Allegaert is also capable of sprinting when required, as proven by a tenth-place finish on a stage in his Tour debut in 2024.
🇧🇪 Jenthe Biermans (30): Another Belgian who is key in the Cofidis lead-out but also packs his own strong finish is the 30-year-old Biermans. In total, Biermans has scored seven top ten finishes this season. Additionally, the Belgian has sprinted to fourth-place stage finishes in his previous two Grand Tours at the Vuelta in 2025 and Giro in 2024.
🇫🇷 Benjamin Thomas (30): The time trial and track specialist animated the opening stage last year in the breakaway alongside Mattéo Vercher. The duo even suffered a crash while contesting a KOM sprint, with Thomas ultimately wearing the polka dot jersey for a stage.
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