Haut Var: Joe Perrett Makes A Break for it

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Team Raleigh’s Joe Perrett made the day’s break in this two stage race whilst Matthieu Boulo was the team’s top finisher in 23rd

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Joe Perrett Makes A Break for it

2014_JoePerrett_MedThe first stage of this weekend event in the South of France, 151 kilometers from Le Cannet-des-Maures to La Croix Valmer, saw the peloton face three categorized climbs, with two intermediate sprints also up for grabs.

Five riders – Florian Guillou (Bretagne-Seche Environnement), Gert Joeaar (Cofidis, Solutions Crédits), Joe Perrett (Team Raleigh), Thomas Rostollan (Team La Pomme Marseille 13) and Rodolfo Torres (Team Colombia) built up a five minute plus lead before the peloton reeled them in just after the final climb, with about 25 km to go.

Local rider from the finish town, Thomas Vaubourzeix (Team La Pomme Marseille 13) launched the first attack inside the final 25 km.

After he was brought back, three more riders tried an escape: Rémy Di Gregorio (Team La Pomme Marseille 13), Brice Feillu (Bretagne-Seche Environnement) and Quentin Jauregui (Roubaix Lille Metropole). With 5 km to go, they had 30 seconds. But the chasing peloton made the catch in the final kilometre.

The finale saw Carlos Betancur (Ag2r La Mondiale) beat John Degenkolb (Giant-Shimano) and his own teammate, Samuel Dumoulin to take the victory. Former Tour de France winner Cadel Evans was one of six riders credited with a time three seconds slower than the first three finishers with thirty riders finishing within 12 seconds of Betancur including Britain’s talented Mark Christian.

In his debut for the BMC Racing Team, Samuel Sánchez finished 100th, 1:30 back.

Cadel Evans said “In the final, we looked to see if Thor (Hushovd) could do the finish and repeat his success of last year. I tried to be alongside him into the last few hundred meters but it seems he didn’t have the finish and it was Ag2r that anticipated the finish. I think they did a good move because they saw there were a lot of tired riders in the group.”

Already a winner in the Tour of Med, Giant Shimano’s John Degenkolb went close to adding to his tally of early season wins but ended up just short, finishing second on the opening stage of the Tour du Haut Var. “It’s disappointing not to repay the guys for their hard work today,” said John after the stage. “Tom (Stamsnijder) and Lawson (Craddock) controlled the race early on before passing over to the other guys later on. The finish suited me well, being slightly uphill but Betancur got the jump on me and I couldn’t quite catch him.”

Tomorrow’s 203.4km stage starting and finishing in Draguignan will be a very different affair with a testing parcours that will surely see a much smaller group at the finish than today. Sunday sees 4,300 meters of climbing on the key stage for the GC.

Result Stage 1
1 BETANCUR Carlos Alberto AG2R La Mondiale 03:42
2 DEGENKOLB John Team Giant-Shimano
3 DUMOULIN Samuel AG2R La Mondiale
4 FONSECA Armindo Bretagne РS̩ch̩ Environnement 00:03
5 CHEREL Mikael AG2R La Mondiale
6 GAUTIER Cyril Team Europcar
7 VENTOSO Fran Movistar Team
8 EVANS Cadel BMC Racing Team
9 VANTOMME Maxime Roubaix РLille M̩tropole
10 PINEAU Jérome IAM Cycling 00:06

23 BOULO Matthieu Team Raleigh
25 CHAVANEL Sylvain IAM Cycling
28 CHRISTIAN Mark Team Raleigh
35 KNEES Christian Team Sky @ 12 secs
36 FEILLU Brice Bretagne РS̩ch̩ Environnement
59 WILKINSON Ian Team Raleigh 00:24
69 HUSHOVD Thor BMC Racing Team 00.32
70 SUTTON Chris Team Sky 00:35
91 OLIPHANT Evan Team Raleigh 1.26
100 SáNCHEZ Samuel BMC Racing Team 1.30
116 EDMONDSON Joshua Team Sky 07:19
130 PERETT Joseph Team Raleigh 11:24
135 STONES Liam Team Raleigh 12.59

DNF ATKINS George Team Raleigh (ill)
DNF BARKER Yanto Team Raleigh
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