Mets Masrik, September 10, 2026 – A historic first with a thrilling stage. Poland’s Michal Pomorski (Att Investiments) won the opening stage of the brand-new Tour of Armenia in 2’34”47 (at an impressive average speed of 52.331 km/h), edging out his breakaway companions Fletcher Medway (Netcompany Ineos Racing Academy) and Alexandre Balmer (Solution Tech Nippo Rali) in a tight sprint finish. The 135-kilometer route from Gavar to Mets Masrik, running alongside the stunning Lake Sevan, might have seemed like a smooth ride to the finish line, but the fact that the entire stage took place at high altitude made it truly intense right from the start.
It was a sunny, picture-perfect day in the center of the town of Gavar (1,979 meters above sea level), where the 16 participating teams were introduced alongside Zhanna Andreasyan, Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports of the Republic of Armenia, who kicked off this inaugural edition of a race that aims to establish itself permanently on the UCI Europe Tour circuit.
It was a fierce battle right from the start, with a large breakaway group of twenty riders that immediately built a significant lead. The pace was relentless, with no respite, and the elevation made the attackers’ effort even more intense. With 13.5 km to go, the Australian Medway made a move on the descent, drawing the Polish rider Pomorski and the Swiss rider Balmer along with him.
After riding in unison until the very last kilometer, the three of them went all out in the final few hundred meters, with the 23-year-old from Att Investments outpacing his fellow breakaway riders at the finish line in Mets Masrik, claiming not only the overall leader’s jersey but also the orange points jersey. The hard-working Medway, meanwhile, took consolation in the white jersey for best young rider. The main pack finished more than ten minutes behind the 18 riders who broke away: thus, this very first stage already carried significant weight in terms of the overall standings.
FINISH ORDER – STAGE 1, GAVAR-METS MASRIK
1 - Michal Pomorski (Att Investments) - 135 km in 2h34.47", average speed of 52.331 km/h (10” time bonus)
2 - Fletcher Medway (Netcompany Ineos Racing Academy) same time (6” time bonus)
3 – Alexandre Balmer (Solution Tech Nippo Rali) same time (4” time bonus)
OVERALL STANDINGS – TOUR OF ARMENIA 2026
1 - Michal Pomorski (Att Investments) - 2h 34.47"
2 - Fletcher Medway (Netcompany Ineos Racing Academy) +4"
3 – Alexandre Balmer (Solution Tech Nippo Rali) +6"
THE OFFICIAL JERSEYS OF THE TOUR OF ARMENIA CREATED BY ALÉ CYCLING
• Red Jersey, General Classification leader, Pomorski (Att Investments)
• Orange Jersey, Points Classification leader, Pomorski (Att Investments)
• White Jersey, Young Rider Classification leader, Medway (Netcompany Ineos Racing Academy)
Few moments after crossing the finish line and wearing the first Red Jersey of the inaugural Tour of Armenia, stage winner and new overall leader Michal Pomorski said: “It was really tough today. The altitude made it hard to breathe, and we were all going all out right from the start, but I’d say it went great. There were five of us Poles in the breakaway, including my Att Investments teammate Tomasz Budzinski: I was going for the stage win and he was going for the general classification. Even though we were at nearly 2,000 meters, it was a blisteringly fast stage and we didn’t even have time to admire the stunning views around us. The last twenty kilometers seemed to go on forever; we were all out of breath, but I was confident in the sprint and it went well. I’m very happy with both the victory and the red jersey; now I’ll try to help Tomasz in the mountain stages, and we hope to achieve more great results.”
Stage 2: Kirants–Stepanavan (177 km, 2,400 meters of elevation gain)
There’s plenty of terrain for attackers in the second stage from Kirants to Stepanavan as well, with 2,400 meters of elevation gain over the planned 177 km. The stage starts in a tiny village in the Tavush region, famous for its 7th-century monastery, and finishes in a
mountain town renowned for its stunning basalt plateau and its arboretum—unique in the entire South Caucasus—where the forest has been transformed into a living botanical garden.
The intermediate sprint will take place after 61.4 km, while the first of the mountain grand prix is the Lermontov (1,869 meters above sea level) after 81.5 km. The next two climbs will be the Odzun (at km 141) and Mghart (km 153.5); at that point, there will be 23.5 km remaining to the finish line. The finish is very technical in the town of Stepanavan.
The Tour of Armenia is broadcast worldwide on HBO Max, Disney+, ESPN, Flo
Sports, Okko, SBS, SPO TV, and Zhibo TV.