Can top talent Nordhagen impress on behalf of Visma in the French cycling weekend?

There are three one-day races on the program: the Classic Grand Besançon Doubs, the Tour du Jura Cycliste, and the Tour du Doubs. Except for the Tour du Doubs, these races do not have a long history, but they still attract a nice field of participants. IDLProCycling.com provides you with a detailed preview!

The fifth edition of the Classic Grand Besançon Doubs is scheduled for Friday. The course has hardly changed compared to previous years, so the finish will again be at Montfaucon (3.9 kilometers at 8.9%). Last year, Lenny Martinez won here, and with Victor Lafay as the winner in 2023, the French classic already has an impressive list of winners.

Martinez will not defend his title here. However, Lafay is on the provisional start list and could just as easily win. The Frenchman will face competition from Emanuel Buchmann (Cofidis), Christián Rodríguez (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Guillaume Martin (Groupama-FDJ), and Clément Berthet (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), among others.

Visma | Lease a Bike has also selected a team to compete. Although the top riders focus on the Low Countries' hilly classics, rider Jørgen Nordhagen could just as easily compete for the win. Loe van Belle, Tijmen Graat, and Menno Huising are also on the starting list. The Dutch formation thus allows the so-called 'White Jersey Group' to prove themselves at the highest level.

Unibet-Tietema Rockets will also be present in France. They have a man in form at the start with Adrien Mare, but Odd Christian Eiking is also one to watch. Other riders to keep an eye on are Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies), José Manuel Díaz (Burgos-BH), and Unai Iribar (Equipo Kern Pharma).

The stage profile of the Tour du Jura Cycliste has been thoroughly redesigned compared to 2024, although that happens often in this race. Last year, the elevation meters were mostly spread over the entire stage, but this time, they have been saved for the final stage, where three steep climbs await the riders in the finale.

Most teams will start these three French races with the same selection of riders, and with the necessary elevation gain on all days, we can also expect to see mostly the same riders competing for the win. However, a new name on the starting list, Magnus Cort, could just produce a surprise.

But here too we can expect riders like Emanuel Buchmann (Cofidis), Christián Rodríguez (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Guillaume Martin (Groupama-FDJ), Clément Berthet (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Jørgen Nordhagen (Visma | Lease a Bike), Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies) and Adrien Mare (Unibet-Tietema Rockets), who could suddenly find themselves playing a leading role.

The Tour du Doubs awaits us as the finale of the three-day event. The French classic, now in its 38th edition, is once again a tough race with 2800 meters of elevation gain. However, one major change in the profile compared to previous years is that the race will no longer finish uphill.

Nevertheless, the race – especially the final – is so tough that there is a good chance we will again see the same names battling it out at the front for the win. In the final phase, after a day of constant ups and downs, there will be a few steep but short climbs, which will probably ensure the weekend ends spectacularly.

Expect to see riders like Emanuel Buchmann (Cofidis), Christián Rodríguez (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), Guillaume Martin (Groupama-FDJ), Clément Berthet (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale), Jørgen Nordhagen (Visma | Lease a Bike), Jordan Jegat (TotalEnergies), Adrien Mare (Unibet-Tietema Rockets) and Magnus Cort (Uno-X Mobility), who are eager to finish the cycling weekend with a bang.