Arnaud Tendon (Van Rysel Roubaix) captured the biggest dub of his career Friday, winning the opening stage of the Tour de la Provence from an impressive early breakaway that included Canada’s Jonas Walton.
The 163-km hilly route from Marseille to Saint-Victoret featured the Col de Mazauges (5.3 km at 5.3 per cent) and the Pas de la Couelle (5.1 km at five per cent) before flattening out over the final 60 km, setting up a tense chase.
HE DID IT THIS TIME! 😍Arnaud Tendon (Van Rysel Roubaix) WINS the first stage of Tour de la Provence in Saint-Victoret from the breakaway, one week after being caught in last 50 meters in Besseges! 👏🇨🇭 Respect also to Mattia Bais, they worked until the end.#TourdelaProvence pic.twitter.com/KXuFf2Cbj4
— Mihai Simion (@faustocoppi60) February 13, 2026
Break worked well together
Mattia Bais, Bailey McDonald, David Zanutta, Jonas Walton and Tendon formed the day’s escape, building a lead of nearly two minutes. Zanutta and McDonald were dropped with 58 km remaining, and Walton was distanced in the closing kilometres as the pace intensified. Still, it was a good ride by the CIC Pro Cycling Academy rider.
#TDLP 🇫🇷 / Cinq coureurs à l’avant sur cette première étape :
🇮🇹 BAIS Mattia (PKT)
🇦🇺 McDONALD Bailey (TNN)
🇨🇭 TENDON Arnaud (VRR)
🇨🇦 WALTON Jonas (CIC)
🇮🇹 ZANUTTA David (XAT)Le peloton contrôle. pic.twitter.com/iMT0kJFdyK
— Renaud Breban (@RenaudB31) February 13, 2026
In wet conditions, Tendon and Bais clung to a slim 25-second advantage and held off the peloton. Tendon proved strongest in the two-up sprint.
For 2026 Walton is riding for the French team after stints with Project Echelon Racing and Team Ecoflo Chronos. The French team he’s on now has a long history, dating back to 2008.
As a dual citizen, he took out a Canadian licence in 2023. His parents are Olympic silver medallist Brian Walton, and world masters champ Dana Walton. As a junior racing with USA Cycling, he smashed the world hour record, coming in at 50.792 km.
Last year, he had a superb ride at the road worlds in Kigali, Rwanda. The TT specialist came 6th–after briefly holding the hot seat. Stateside, he also won the 2025 Tour of North Georgia and took the white jersey for best young rider at the Tour of the Gila.
Oakville Ont.’s Michael Leonard (EF Education First) was 38th, with Walton coming in at 78th.
Stage 2 goes from…
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