A few years ago both Lance Armstrong and Jan Ullrich started this race and there was pandemonium as the world’s press and curious came to see the two heavyweights in a rare race encounter outside the Tour de France.

There is no Tour de France winner in this years edition but several of the great cyclists of this generation turned up at the start in La Roche-sur-Yon this morning.

Andreas Klöden (Astana) winner of Tirreno-Adriatico this year and twice on the podium of the Grande Boucle, team mate and double Giro Paolo Savoldelli (Astana) were probably the biggest stars at the start. Other more local favourites included Freddy Bichot (Agritubel), Maryan Hary (Cofidis), Sébastien Joly (Française des Jeux), Christophe Moreau (Ag2r Prévoyance), Stéphane Pétilleau (Bretagne-Armor Lux) and very local lad Laurent Brochard (Bouygues Telecom), who is in good form and in his last participation of this race will be anxious to leave on a high note.

Meanwhile the race managed to retain an international flavour with riders such as; Francesco Chicchi and Nibali (Liquigas), Marcus Fothen (Gerolsteiner), Angelo Furlan (Crédit Agricole), José-Alberto Martinez (Agritubel), Paride Grillo and Sergiy Matveyev (Panaria-Navigare).

The 55th Circuit de la Sarthe keeps to its successful formula, with 5 days racing in the 5 départements of the Pays de la Loire region. Three fairly flat stages for the sprinters, an Individual Time Trial of 8,8 kilomètres to establish a pecking order and then a tough day of escarpée (tough short climbs) before finishing in the home town of the last mullet in racing Laurent Brochard, .

With teams limited to 6 riders to control the race is difficult.

The Stages

1re étape (mardi 10 avril) : La Roche-sur-Yon-Riaillé (190,9 km)
2ème étape (mercredi 11 avril) : Riaillé-Angers (99,8 km)
3ème étape (mercredi 11 avril) : Angers-Angers (8,8 km CLM)
4ème étape (jeudi 12 avril) : Angers-Le Belvédère (186,6 km)
5ème étape (vendredi 13 avril) : Mamers-Le Mans (188,8 km)

Stage One Race Report

A tale of local rider and an Italian in France

The first stage between La Roche-sur-Yon (Vendée) and Riaillé (Loire-Atlantique) over 190,9 kilomètres saw once again Italian temoretures and sunny blue skies. Inspired by this the peloton covered 47 kilometres in the first hour, which discouraged early efforts.

Anthony Ravard, whose Grandparents home is on the race route makes his attack at 55 kilometres. Another local lad the man from Nantes, Lilian Jégou (Française des Jeux) crosses and the “bonne échappée” of the day has been made.

These two local men had their day in the sun but they were caught with 15 kilometres to go.

The race finished on an uphill drag which saw Angelo Furlan (Crédit Agricole) prove stronger than Robert Förster (Gerolsteiner) and Jean-Patrick Nazon (Ag2r Prévoyance). Furlan and his new Crédit Agricole team, are looking a good combination.

Results Stage 1

1. Angelo Furlan (ITA, Crédit Agricole) en 4h30'42"
2. Robert Förster (ALL, Gerolsteiner) m.t.
3. Jean-Patrick Nazon (FRA, Ag2r Prévoyance) m.t.
4. Mikel Gaztanaga (ESP,Agritubel) m.t.
5. Andrus Aug (EST, Ceramica Flaminia) m.t.
6. Piet Rooijakers (PBS, Skil-Shimano) m.t.
7. Fabien Bacquet (FRA, Skil-Shimano) m.t.
8. Maximiliano Richeze (ARG, Panaria-Navigare) m.t.
9. Adam Wadecki (POL, Ceramica Flaminia) m.t.
10. Laurent Brochard (FRA, Bouygues Telecom) m.t.

General Classification

1. Angelo Furlan (ITA, Crédit Agricole) en 4h30'32"
2. Kilian Patour (FRA, Team Slipstream-Chipotle) à 3 sec.
3. Robert Förster (ALL, Gerolsteiner) à 4 sec.
4. Jean-Patrick Nazon (FRA, Ag2r Prévoyance) à 6 sec.
5. Mathieu Ladagnous (FRA, Française des Jeux) m.t.
6. Lilan Jégou (FRA, Française des Jeux) à 7 sec.
7. Anthony Ravard (FRA, Agritubel) m.t.
8. Stéphane Augé (FRA, Cofidis) à 8 sec.
9. Mikel Gaztanaga (ESP,Agritubel) à 10 sec.
10. Andrus Aug (EST, Ceramica Flaminia) m.t.