Kenneth Vanbilsen Wins The Grand Prix Cycliste la Marseillaise

Last updated : 02 February 2014 By Covsupport News Service

Topsport Vlaanderen's Kenneth Vanbilsen won the Grand Prix Cycliste la Marseillaise.

The first cycle race on European soil of the 2014 season was the Grand Prix Cycliste la Marseillaise.

A race won by British rider Jeremy Hunt in 2007, this one day race of 139.7kms from Alluch Le Logis Neuf to the velodrome in Marseille, attracted some big teams including Lotto Belisol and Giant Shimano.

The only British rider in the race - Mark McNally of the An Post Chainreaction Team was involved in the first break of the day after four kilometres but he was soon shed by Thomas Vaubourzeix, Alexis Gougeard, Frédéric Brun & Brice Feillu.

The quartet had opened up a gap of 5.10 after 37kms but that was down to 2.20 as the quartet hit the first of the three climbs of the day - the col du pas de la couelle.

This climb also saw a split in the peloton with the first chasing group getting up to the escapers, so with 62kms to go, Brice Feillu went off on his own, taking a thirty second lead on Vaubourzeix, Di Grégorio and Gougeard and a minute ahead of Vuillermoz, Fedrigo, Pinot, Jeandesboz and Hollenstein.

Twenty kilometres later, a group of seven riders was on the front before they were caught and AG2R's  Mickaël Cherel, who had been in that group, decided to attack.

With thirty kilometres remaining, Cherel had a lead of forty seconds and extended that to 1.15 before it dropped to twenty seven seconds on  Dupont, Pinot, Vichot, Martinez and Zingle and 1'12" on the peloton for the final ten kilometres.

Three to go and Cherel still had a slight lead but he was caught and Kenneth Vanbilsen of the Topsport Vlaanderen team took the win in 3.34.18, beating  Planckaert, Dumoulin, Degenkolb and Vichot.

Mark McNally did not finish the race.