TROIS-BASSINS CLIMB LOOMS AS DECISIVE STAGE IN 2026 REUNION CYCLING TOUR
Sixty-eight riders will face an 87.27-kilometer route on Saturday, August 8, with 1,550 meters of elevation gain as the Tour Cycliste de La Réunion reaches its penultimate stage in the western region. The final major test before Sunday’s criterium in Saint-Denis, the stage is built to force a reckoning in the overall classification through a punishing 720-meter climb in the final 14 kilometers toward Trois-Bassins.
The peloton gathers at 1 p.m. at the Jules Henri Mardemoutou stadium in Trois-Bassins for a neutral start before heading to the Bovelo roundabout on the Route des Plages, a road the field last traveled during the third stage on Thursday. From there, the route heads north along the RN1A through Trou d’eau and Saint-Gilles, passing Cap la Houssaye and the Grotte du Peuplement before turning south. Riders complete a loop twice between La Saline and Saint-Leu via the Bovelo roundabout before the final ascent on the RD14 toward the finish at the Trois-Bassins sports complex.
The climb itself is the stage’s defining challenge. Riders face an uncategorized mountain point worth 30 points to the winner, with 24 for second and 20 for third. That final ascent will likely determine who gains or loses ground in the overall standings. Two intermediate sprints are also scheduled, one at Oeil de Boeuf near kilometer 8 and another at the Kelonia straightaway in Saint-Leu at kilometer 71, offering the last realistic opportunities to contest the green jersey for best sprinter.
Two category-3 mountain points come earlier, at the Saline bypass summit at kilometer 33 and again at kilometer 53, letting climbers accumulate points before the decisive push.
The competitive situation heading into Saturday is extraordinarily tight. Anthony Pothin of VCSD holds the yellow jersey with just a 4-second advantage over Mauritian rider Tristan Hardy of team MCB, who crashed near the finish of the third stage and is eager to reclaim the lead. Antony Chamerat-Dumont of the VCO-VSP alliance sits 5 seconds behind Pothin, while Guillaume Deurweilher of CCSL, winner of Friday’s fifth stage, trails by only 33 seconds. Margins that small mean 1,550 meters of climbing could easily shuffle the top positions.
The early racing already showed the intensity to come. Jeremy Clain, the green jersey holder since the tour’s start, launched the first attack at kilometer 8, followed by Christopher Henriette and Chamerat-Dumont. Aggressive moves that early signal that competitors understand exactly what Saturday’s route offers.
Meanwhile, coverage will be broadcast live across all four Reunion La 1ère media platforms, including television, radio, web, and social media, beginning at 1 p.m.
Saturday’s stage is the last road racing opportunity before the final criterium. Climbers who can exploit the RD14 ascent will arrive in Saint-Denis with the advantage. The open question is whether Hardy, still carrying the effects of Thursday’s crash, can do enough on that final climb to take back four seconds from Pothin before the criterium closes the door.