The 20-Year-Old Yellow Jersey: How Matys Grisel "Snatched" the Leader's Jersey from His Teammate

When Your Biggest Rival Is Your Own Teammate

In the world of professional cycling, “teammate” is a delicate concept. You wear the same jersey, stay in the same hotel, eat at the same breakfast table—but at the finish line, you are also each other’s biggest competitors.

At Stage 3 of the 2026 Tour de Taiwan in Kaohsiung, the Lotto-Intermarche team put on a spectacular intra-team drama.

Yellow Jersey Battle Timeline

After Stage 2:

• Matthew Fox (23, Australia): Wears the yellow jersey, leading by 4 seconds
• Matys Grisel (20, France): Right on his heels

After Stage 3 in Kaohsiung, 146.44 km:

• Grisel crosses the line first, earning a 10-second time bonus
• Fox can only watch as the yellow jersey slips off his shoulders

Who Is Grisel?

• Date of Birth: July 14, 2005 (Born on France’s National Day—destined for greatness?)
• Place of Birth: Creil, France
• Age: 20
• Height: Still growing (just kidding)
• 2026 Results: 6th at Le Samyn, Champion of Tour des 100 Communes

The young Frenchman, born in 2005, used perfectly timed acceleration in the sprint in front of Kaohsiung National Stadium to beat compatriot Paul Hennequin (2nd) and Japan’s Yoshiki Terada (3rd).

A French One-Two

The top two finishers of this stage were both French—Grisel and Hennequin swept first and second, staging a “Double Français.” It brings to mind the golden traditions of French cycling, from Bernard Hinault to Thibaut Pinot—the French have always had a special gift for road racing.

Lotto-Intermarche’s Dominance

As the only UCI WorldTeam in this edition of the Tour de Taiwan, Lotto-Intermarche demonstrated overwhelming superiority:

Two stage wins and a double occupation of the yellow and green jerseys—this Belgian team proved with sheer strength the gap between a WorldTeam and Continental teams.

But in the End, the Yellow Jersey Wasn’t His…

The twist in the story: despite Grisel wearing the yellow jersey through Stages 3 and 4, the final overall champion was Israel-Premier Tech’s Brady Gilmore. This illustrates the cruelty of the Tour de Taiwan—you can lead in the middle, but the 153 km of the final stage is the true test.

The 20-year-old Grisel still has plenty of time. With his talent and the resources of his team, we will surely see his name again on the grand tour stages of the future.

Related Reading

• Matthew Fox’s Yellow 24 Hours: The Shortest-Lived Yellow Jersey Winner in Tour de Taiwan History
• The Four Colored Jerseys of the Tour de Taiwan: Yellow, Green, Polka Dot, and Blue Explained
• Defending the Blue Jersey: How Yuma Koishi Held On to the Best Asian Rider Honor
• 2026 Tour de Taiwan Full Recap: Five Days of Battle, Yellow Jersey Winner Gilmore Successfully Defends!