Day 2 – Saturday, June 6: Taking on the Aubrac

The Trèfle Lozérien AMV tackled its most demanding day on Saturday. A pivotal loop that took riders across the vast open landscapes of the Aubrac region, made all the more enjoyable by perfect weather conditions.

The challenging route featured plenty of obstacles, including SP2 with its spectacular motocross-style group start. The organisers also had a surprise in store, adding an unexpected sixth special stage run in the opposite direction to the day’s opening test, leaving riders without their usual reference points.

Lunier strengthens his grip on the lead

Just like on Friday, one man dominated proceedings: Killian Lunier. Winner of three of the first four special stages of the day, the local favourite made the most of his position at the front of the starting order, expertly avoiding the traps of this demanding Saturday.

Driven on by the support of the crowds, the rider from Mende delivered another impressive performance and extended his overall lead. Having finished just fractions behind him on Friday, Jérémy Tarroux lost seven seconds over the course of the day, pointing to a lack of traction as a key factor. However, he still showed strong pace by winning the final special stage and clawing back three seconds.

Lunier therefore remains firmly on course for a dream home victory heading into the final day. But the 2017 winner retains second place overall and remains fully in contention, determined to fight until the very end. Yet both men will have one eye on the riders behind them as the battle remains far from over.

Magain impresses, Debaud climbs onto the podium

Indeed, the pressure from behind continues to grow. Competing in his first Trèfle Lozérien AMV, Antoine Magain produced an outstanding performance on Saturday. Second-fastest rider of the day and winner of SP5, the Belgian enjoyed a very successful day and climbed three places in the overall standings.

He now looks like a serious contender for a podium finish, although it is Valérian Debaud who has climbed to third place overall today. The rider from Ardèche, growing in confidence with every stage, claimed a special-stage victory this morning and now sits just five seconds behind Tarroux and 12.4 seconds off the lead.

Other highlights from Day 2

Behind the front-runners, the fight for the remaining top positions remains fierce. The gaps are small enough that the standings could continue to change right until the finish.

What happened inside the top ten:

• Jérémy Miroir paid the price for an unfortunate tyre choice and dropped two positions, slipping away from the podium places he occupied on Friday evening.
• Hugo Blanjoue lost one position and dropped out of the top five. While he is still searching for the right feeling on his bike, he remains determined to finish the weekend strongly.
• Hamish Macdonald slipped back one place overall but ended the day with two special-stage podiums and is clearly enjoying more and more his first Trèfle experience.
• Mathis Juillard continued to capitalise on his consistency and moved ahead of Till de Clercq, edging him out for eighth place.
• Léo Le Quéré broke into the top ten at the expense of Romain Boucardey, the leading National-class rider.

Final showdown in the Gorges du Tarn

Sunday will bring the final day of the 2026 Trèfle Lozérien AMV, with the starting order reversed and potentially capable of reshuffling the cards. The Gorges du Tarn loop will provide the final verdict of this anniversary edition, with 190 kilometres of racing through landscapes recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Five special stages remain to decide the outcome, and the suspense promises to last until the very final test. Will Killian Lunier secure the dream victory on home soil, or can one of his rivals turn the tables? The answer will come on Sunday afternoon!

As tradition dictates, the weekend will conclude with the Thierry Castan Trophy. Spectators will gather on the heights above Mende for the final showpiece of the event, where riders will have one last opportunity to claim a prestigious victory and finish the weekend in style.