Auber 93's Steven Tronet has taken victory on the opening stage of the Route Du Sud.
This annual race attracted some big names and none bigger than Giro D'Italia winner Alberto Contador of Tinkoff Saxo, in his last race before the Tour De France.
The riders took on a 204km stage from Lourdes to Auch and saw Cédric Pineau (FDJ), Beñat Txoperena (Murias Taldea), Daniel Martinez (Colombia) and Hector Saez (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA) get away and take a lead of four minutes.
With the lead down to 1.30 and twenty five kilometres left, Martinez went away on the Côte de Lavardens. This kick started the peloton and Chris Juul-Jensen of Tinkoff Saxo and AG2R's Julien Bérard caught Martinez before being joined by Quentin Jauregi (Ag2r-La Mondiale), Karel Hnik (Cult Energy Pro Cycling), Stéphane Rossetto (Cofidis) and Miguel Angel Rubiano (Colombia).
They took a fifteen second lead into the final two kilometres but that was not enough and the escapers who had shelled Bérard pretty early in their assault, were reeled in.
Up came Steven Tronet of Auber 93 and on an uphill finish, he took the win in 4.59.41, followed by Romain Hardy (Cofidis) and Michael Carbel Svengaard (Cult Energy) with Alberto Contador in tenth place.
Movistar's Alex Dowsett finished in 87th place with fellow British rider Daniel Mclay of Bretagne-Séché Environnement finishing 121st.