Loire Tour wraps in Le Mans with Lozano to the fore

David Lozano showed grit and determination on the fourth and final stage of the Région Pays de la Loire Tour, with the Team Novo Nordisk veteran racing at the front of the peloton until the closing lap around the iconic Le Mans circuit.

Four days of action-packed racing concluded with a demanding 179.5km finale that was aggressive from the moment the flag dropped. Wave after wave of attacks kept the peloton on edge throughout, with breaks forming and being reeled back in before another move went clear, the pattern repeating itself relentlessly until the final circuits around Le Mans.

“That was a hard day out,” said Lozano. “As soon as we thought the break had gone, it got brought back and then another one went. It was an attack-filled stage and the aggressive racing only increased on the last laps around Le Mans.”

Lozano gave everything to stay with the front group deep into the finale, but the brutal final ascent of the Mur de Gazonfier ultimately proved one effort too many. “I was up there until the final circuit, but the last time up the berg killed me and I dropped with seven or eight other guys,” he said. “We made it to the finish around two minutes back.”

Reflecting on the week as a whole, Lozano was positive. “It’s been a really solid four days of racing,” he said, with the Spaniard now turning his attention swiftly to his next challenge. “I’ve got a short turnaround before heading off to China for the Tour of Hainan, so no time to lose focus.”