By Thomas Howson — La Solitaire du Figaro
Paul Loiseau (Région Bretagne – CMB Espoir) has taken out stage two of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec in a gruelling battle from Vigo to Pornichet, crossing the line with a commanding 5 minutes and 44 seconds ahead of Nicolas Lunven (PRB). The result also catapults Loiseau into fourth place on the general classification after a dramatic finale packed with twists.
Tom Dolan (Kingspan) remains at the top of the leaderboard following his fifth-place finish at Pornichet, while Lunven and Alexis Thomas (Wings of The Ocean)—who came second and third respectively—have now claimed podium spots on the provisional general standings after two legs. ©Vincent Olivaud
Alexis Thomas rounded out the stage podium in third, showing impressive composure through the final hours despite tricky conditions and unpredictable weather. The young skipper proved particularly steady when it mattered most.
“I wouldn’t have dreamed this was possible, mate. It’s absolutely mad—I’m still in shock,” Loiseau said at the finish. “The first stage went well, but adding a win on top of that is beyond anything I expected.”
©Mathieu Rivrin
With this tactical and controlled victory, Loiseau has confirmed his impressive form and firmly established himself as one of the standout contenders for this edition of La Solitaire du Figaro Paprec.
“That final stretch was absolutely wild,” Loiseau explained. “To be honest, I didn’t see this win coming until last night. The fleet was so scattered I had no idea where the other guys were—I’d lost AIS contact. I only knew from yesterday’s standings that I was third, with no clue about the rest. I thought that was pretty decent. Then that match race at the end under spinnaker was insane. When the wind dropped and Nicolas came charging back, I genuinely thought it was slipping away. Horrible feeling. But this is just incredible—here I am stepping onto the circuit and going toe-to-toe with guys like Nicolas who’s got multiple wins under his belt.”
©Mathieu Rivrin
“I could see I was holding my own at the front of my pack because after Cape Finistère the fleet split into two, maybe three groups,” he continued. “I was generally leading my group offshore, but it was wide open. I don’t reckon anyone really knew how it was going to play out. I felt pretty dialled in with the boat and what was happening on the water, though I didn’t have all the answers either. It was a bit chaotic, truth be told. But bumping into Paul’s track after Cape Finistère—that was definitely the bright spot. The real surprise of the leg.”
Originally published in French by La Solitaire du Figaro.
