Degenkolb Wins Tour Méditerranéen Cycliste Professionnel Opener

Last updated : 13 February 2014 By Covsupport News Service

Giant Shimano's John Degenkolb won the opening stage of Tour Méditerranéen Cycliste Professionnel.

The first stage race of the new season in France, the Tour Méditerranéen Cycliste Professionnel, is a four day event, comprising of two normal road stages before Saturday brings a short 63km road stage followed by a 18.2km Individual time trial in Saint Rémy de Provence before the race finishes in Toulon on Sunday.

The first stage was designed to help riders build up their legs and was a 196.3km ride from Argelès-sur-Mer to Montagnac and saw Valencia, Stake Laengen, Gouault, Grijalba & Berard as the early escapers, taking a 3.45 lead that was allowed to increase to 8.55 with 45kms gone.

Their lead was around the six minute mark when with sixty eight kilometres remaining, Diego Rosa was forced to abandon following a crash. 

Thirty kilometres later and the peloton has split into two groups with Valencia, Laengen, Gouault, Grijalba and Bérard having a lead of 2.35 on the first group of thirty five riders. 

The escapers were caught with 23kms left by a peloton which had regrouped and included riders from the British based Team Raleigh and this saw ten riders attack before swiftly being brought back by the Giant Shimano team.

Former Tour De France winner Cadel Evans was handily placed but it Christophe Premont of the Wallonie - Bruxelles team, who attacked with a fifty second lead inside the final ten kilometres.

Team Giant Shimano had been working hard but their sprintman John Degenkolb suffered a puncture but was quickly able to get back to his team and launch an attack which saw Premont caught inside the final kilometre and Degenkolb take the win ahead of Napolitano and Colbrelli.

"It was really nice out there today, sunny and warm which makes a nice change to the recent weather," said a relieved Degenkolb. "It was a long race and the guys rode great, especially Tom Peterson (USA) and Thierry Hupond (FRA) who were on the front for what felt like the whole day.

"They never really got much help from the other teams but were super strong. The win wouldn't have been possible without their work.

"I had a mechanical with 10km to go and knew I had to fight to get back on as the guys had fought for me all day. It paid off at the end and it's great to get the win."