Elie Gesbert (Fortuneo-Oscaro) won the opening stage of the Tour du Limousin after he outlasted breakaway companion Flavien Dassonville (HP BTP-Auber 93) on the final drag to the line at Rochechouart. Cyclo-cross star Mathieu van der Poel (Beobank-Corendon) won the sprint for third place behind the two escapees.
The 22-year-old Gesbert was the youngest participant in last month’s Tour de France, reaching Paris in 85th place overall. The Tour du Limousin is the Breton’s first race since completing La Grande Boucle, and he showcased his post-Tour form with a well-executed attack in the finale to claim the stage honours here.
Gesbert and Dassonville escaped from the peloton at the end of a spirited opening hour of racing that saw a number of breakaway attempts briefly gain traction before being pegged back once again. Guillaume Martin (Wanty-Groupe Gobert), another impressive young Tour debutant, was among the early animators, as were Jeremy Bescond (HP BTP-Auber 93) and Remi Di Gregorio (Delko Marseille Provence), who later abandoned, but it was Gesbert and Dassonville who definitively snapped the elastic after 40 kilometres.
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The duo quickly struck up a sound working alliance, and by the time Direct Energie began to marshal the chase after 60 kilometres, their advantage had yawned north of four minutes. Philipp Walsleben (Beobank-Corendon) made a most optimistic attempt to bridge across to the two escapees when he forged clear ahead of the category 3 Côte de Courbefy, though he was soon brought to heel by the bunch.
By the time they reached the Côte du Grand Puyconnieux, with a little over 70 kilometres to go, Gesbert and Dassonville had extended their lead to more than five minutes, and when they reached the 50km to go banner with the same buffer, they must have begun to countenance the very real prospect of holding off the chasers.
Not even heavy rain and a mechanical problem for Dassonville could halt their progress, and they still had 3:40 in hand as they entered the final 25 kilometres. Cofidis and Direct Energie were beginning to wind up the pace in the peloton, but it was clear that they had already run out of road, and that victory would fall to either Gesbert or Dassonville.
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