PARIS, 29th May, 2026 (WAM) — On the opening day of the Boucles de la Mayenne, Julius Johansen roared home for his second professional victory in UAE Team Emirates-XRG colours. In doing so, the Dane takes the first leader’s jersey of the four-day stage race.
It was a marvellous display from Johansen, who only took the first win of his career a little over a month ago. A marker, it certainly was, with the rouleur backing up his O Gran Camiño prologue victory with another win against the clock at the Boucles de la Mayenne.
Johansen was the last UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider off the starting ramp on Thursday evening, and the Emirati squad could have held no blame had their heads dropped. Just minutes earlier, Johansen’s teammate Benoît Cosnefroy had been dislodged from the hot seat after a lengthy spell at the top of the provisional standings.
With both Ivo Oliveira and Cosnefroy losing their spots in the hot seat over the course of the prologue, it looked as though victory might be slipping from the grasp of UAE Team Emirates-XRG. However, as the fourth-to-last man down the ramp, Johansen had something to say on the matter.
Storming around the 5.4km-long course in six minutes and 36 seconds, Johansen set the fastest time of the 132-strong field. Pipping Jakob Söderqvist to the day’s victory, the Danish rouleur took the 34th win of the season for UAE Team Emirates-XRG.
Thursday marked a brilliant start to the Boucles de la Mayenne for the Emirati squad, with Cosnefroy and Oliviera eventually placing fourth and sixth, respectively. The team now takes the lead of the race into the first road stage on Friday.
Johansen said: “Amazing to have another win. Apparently, I have found my TT again after many years! It is really nice to take another victory, and in a time trial again. It is amazing.
“I knew we had a really good team here with a lot of riders who could win a time trial like this, and I definitely didn’t believe it would be more. I am super surprised and, of course, super happy. Now we look to the next days, we have a good team, and we are ready. Hopefully, we can win some more!”
Source: Emirates News Agency