The European season starts: GP d'Ouverture & Étoile de Bessèges

[Lupetto]

Here you can take a look at the stage profiles.

 

[Nicosix]

Updated starlist :

Etoile de Bessèges

 

[jens_attacks]

echelons!bordures!

http://direct.directvelo.com/live-course/1251/etoile-de-besseges-1ere-etape--point-course.html

hope kittel will be up front.

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

These are on the move:
Anthony Ravard et Sébastien Minard (AG2R–La Mondiale), Bert-Jan Lindeman et Kris Boeckmans (Vacansoleil-DCM), Tristan Valentin, Aleksejs Saramotins, Samuel Dumoulin et Adrien Petit (Cofidis), Alexandre Pichot et Sébastien Chavanel (Europcar), Jérôme Coppel et Jimmy Engoulvent (Saur-Sojasun), Franck Vermeulen, Mickaël Olejnik et Romain Mathéou (Véranda Rideau-Super U) et Bobbie Traksel (Landbouwkrediet)

Strong break - could go all the way!
They have 29 seconds. FDJ-BigMat are working in the main bunch.

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

And it's all together at km 55. 93 to go.

 

[TRDean]

Weather...

what is the weather like?

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

According to the ticker it's 6 degrees and sunny. Don't know about wind.
Two brave fighters are going for it and have 3.30, the rest have sat up, clearly not interested in a pursuit of
Koen Barbe (Landbouwkrediet) &
Steven Van Vooren (Topsport Vlaanderen)

 

[roundabout]

what is the weather like?

was plus 6 at the start so ok.

 

[Christian]

14h31

Le peloton roule à 25 km/h....

Man I should have signed up for this

 

[Zam_Olyas]

around 6/7 km remaining.

 

[Anonymous]

Feillu for me.

I think he's the fastest man in the field.

 

[User Guide]

flamme rouge__ un sprint massive, im guessing means....lol

 

[Zam_Olyas]

Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ-BigMat)..kittel 2nd

 

[Maaaaaaaarten]

Good job, Bouhanni earning me points for the CQ game

 

[User Guide]

Le live
Départ réel 16h23

Victoire de Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ-BigMat) !

 

[TeoSheva]

1 Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ-BigMat)
2 Marcel Kittel (Project 1t4i)
3 Jempy Drucker (Accent Jobs–Willems Veranda’s
4 Bobbie Traksel (Landbouwkrediet)
5 Kris Boeckmans (Vacansoleil-DCM)
6 Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis)
7 Jure Kocjan (Team Type 1-Sanofi)
8 Yukiya Arashiro (Europcar)
9 Kevyn Ista (Accent Jobs–Willems Veranda’s)
10 Anthony Ravard (AG2R–La Mondiale)

 

[Fetisoff]

Nacer who????

 

[Zam_Olyas]

official result.
1 Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ-BigMat)
2 Jempy Drucker (Accent Jobs–Willems Veranda’s)
3 Bobbie Traksel (Landbouwkrediet)
4 Marcel Kittel (Project 1t4i)
5 Kris Boeckmans (Vacansoleil-DCM)
6 Samuel Dumoulin (Cofidis)
7 Jure Kocjan (Team Type 1-Sanofi)
8 Yukiya Arashiro (Europcar)
9 Kevyn Ista (Accent Jobs–Willems Veranda’s)
10 Anthony Ravard (AG2R–La Mondiale)

 

[Christian]

Wow, very happy for Jempy Drucker! He had a really hard time finding a team in road cycling (he comes from cyclocross, used to race for Fidea), was involved in the H2O fiasco and overlooked by LEOPARD TREK! Finally Lucien Van Impe picked him up and he had some nice performances last year, was a valuable asset for Van Dijk and his team, with a good 4th place in a bunch sprint at the Eneco Tour. Van Impe recently stated he expects to lose Drucker to a ProTour team by the end of this year ... he seems to confirm the trust Van Impe shows in him!

 

[Kvinto]

Among other French teams FDJ seems to be the most "sprinter's". Hutarovich, Demare, Bonnet, Bouhanni and on the other hand guys like Vichot, C.Pineau, Fedrigo or Casar who can sprint from a small group. They can earn numerous wins in home races...

 

[maltiv]

Looking at the photos from the finish, it's quite clear that Kittel was 2nd, not 4th. Was he relegated or something? Quite weird that no one seems to have noticed it

 

[Christian]

First he was listed as second in the live ticker, then listed as fourth ... maybe it was a mistake. These results now seem more accurate, but they are still "unofficial"

http://www.directvelo.com/actualite/17039-etoile-de-besseges-et-1-top-25.html

 

[DJ Sprtsch]

Kittel indeed second.

Classement de la 1ère étape :
1 * BOUHANNI Nacer FDJ - Big Mat FRA les 148.5 km en 03h30'25'' (moy. 42.34 km/h) 10''
2 KITTEL Marcel Project 1t4i GER 03h30'25'' 6''
3 TRAKSEL Bobbie Landbouwkrediet NED 03h30'25'' 7''
4 DRUCKER Jean-Pierre Accent Jobs - Willems Veranda` LUX 03h30'25''
5 BOECKMANS Kris Vacansoleil - DCM Pro Cycling BEL 03h30'25''
6 DUMOULIN Samuel Cofidis Le Crédit en Ligne FRA 03h30'25''
7 KOCJAN Jure Team Type 1 - Sanofi SLO 03h30'25''
8 MARTINEZ Yannick Vélo Club La Pomme Marseille FRA 03h30'25''
9 ISTA Kevyn Accent Jobs - Willems Veranda` BEL 03h30'25''
10 RAVARD Anthony AG2R la Mondiale FRA 03h30'25'' 2''
11 BAGDONAS Gediminas An Post - Sean Kelly LTU 03h30'25''
12 ENGOULVENT Jimmy Saur - Sojasun FRA 03h30'25''
13 VAN STAEYEN Michael Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator BEL 03h30'25''
14 ARASHIRO Yukiya Team Europcar JPN 03h30'25''
15 * VAN ASBROECK Tom Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator BEL 03h30'25''
16 * DELAPLACE Anthony Saur - Sojasun FRA 03h30'25''
17 BACQUET Fabien Auber 93 FRA 03h30'25''
18 VICHOT Arthur FDJ - Big Mat FRA 03h30'25''
19 DION Renaud Bretagne - Schuller FRA 03h30'25''
20 GIRAUD Benjamin Vélo Club La Pomme Marseille FRA 03h30'25''
21 VAN DIJK Stefan Accent Jobs - Willems Veranda` NED 03h30'25''
22 DEVOLDER Stijn Vacansoleil - DCM Pro Cycling BEL 03h30'25''
23 VANBILSEN Kenneth An Post - Sean Kelly BEL 03h30'25''
24 PINEAU Cédric FDJ - Big Mat FRA 03h30'25''
25 VAN VOOREN Steven Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator BEL 03h30'25'' 3''

Lire la suite sur DirectVelo.com : http://www.directvelo.com/actualite/17042-etoile-de-besseges-et-1-classements.html#ixzz1l9tkGqGi

 

[Gloin22]

Kittel indeed second.

Classement de la 1ère étape :
1 * BOUHANNI Nacer FDJ - Big Mat FRA les 148.5 km en 03h30'25'' (moy. 42.34 km/h) 10''
2 KITTEL Marcel Project 1t4i GER 03h30'25'' 6''
3 TRAKSEL Bobbie Landbouwkrediet NED 03h30'25'' 7''
4 DRUCKER Jean-Pierre Accent Jobs - Willems Veranda` LUX 03h30'25''
5 BOECKMANS Kris Vacansoleil - DCM Pro Cycling BEL 03h30'25''
6 DUMOULIN Samuel Cofidis Le Crédit en Ligne FRA 03h30'25''
7 KOCJAN Jure Team Type 1 - Sanofi SLO 03h30'25''
8 MARTINEZ Yannick Vélo Club La Pomme Marseille FRA 03h30'25''
9 ISTA Kevyn Accent Jobs - Willems Veranda` BEL 03h30'25''
10 RAVARD Anthony AG2R la Mondiale FRA 03h30'25'' 2''
11 BAGDONAS Gediminas An Post - Sean Kelly LTU 03h30'25''
12 ENGOULVENT Jimmy Saur - Sojasun FRA 03h30'25''
13 VAN STAEYEN Michael Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator BEL 03h30'25''
14 ARASHIRO Yukiya Team Europcar JPN 03h30'25''
15 * VAN ASBROECK Tom Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator BEL 03h30'25''
16 * DELAPLACE Anthony Saur - Sojasun FRA 03h30'25''
17 BACQUET Fabien Auber 93 FRA 03h30'25''
18 VICHOT Arthur FDJ - Big Mat FRA 03h30'25''
19 DION Renaud Bretagne - Schuller FRA 03h30'25''
20 GIRAUD Benjamin Vélo Club La Pomme Marseille FRA 03h30'25''
21 VAN DIJK Stefan Accent Jobs - Willems Veranda` NED 03h30'25''
22 DEVOLDER Stijn Vacansoleil - DCM Pro Cycling BEL 03h30'25''
23 VANBILSEN Kenneth An Post - Sean Kelly BEL 03h30'25''
24 PINEAU Cédric FDJ - Big Mat FRA 03h30'25''
25 VAN VOOREN Steven Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator BEL 03h30'25'' 3''

Lire la suite sur DirectVelo.com : http://www.directvelo.com/actualite/17042-etoile-de-besseges-et-1-classements.html#ixzz1l9tkGqGi

On CQ.Ranking he's listed 4th though.

 

[Christian]

Stage 1 Review:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUJ5AFGpXoY

lol, funny interview:

Who do you support today?

- Team Europe ... Europa .... what's the team we support again?

(husband): Europcar.

- Europcar. Thomas Voeckler.

So you are not an expert in cycling?

- No, I am an expert!

So who is going to win today?

- Ah, I have no idea, I don't know ...