Matyas Kopecky Moves into White Jersey in Région Pays de la Loire Tour

Matyas Kopecky achieved a career milestone at the Région Pays de la Loire Tour, pulling on the white jersey as the leader of the young rider classification for the first time in his professional career.

After a tough day in the saddle, Kopecky credited his teammates for their strong support.

“The team was really good today. Polga put me in the front for the climb at two laps to go, which was really good. Also, Celestin gave me a lot of help today,” Kopecky said. “I’m really happy with that and in the final, it was up to me.”

The stage featured a decisive climb that proved just slightly too long for the 21-year-old Czech rider to launch a full sprint.

“The climb was 300 meters too long for me to do a proper result. But I tried to limit the damage. I exploded with 300 meters to go,” he explained.

Despite the brutal finale, Kopecky’s resilience paid off—earning him the white jersey and a moment of recognition among cycling’s rising talents.

“In the end, I am wearing the white jersey, which is nice,” he said with a smile.

There is one day left in the French race that finishes in Le Mans. The distance covered will be 186.5km and in a similar fashion to previous days, the final will take part on a finishing circuit.