Arnaud Demare (FDJ) has won the opening stage of the Etoile de Besseges.
This year’s race started with a 158,4km stage from Bellegarde to Beaucaire in the Gard department in the Occitanie region of southern France and was an almost flat stage.
The final stretch went slightly up-hill but this didn’t stop Demare from giving it his all and crossing the line ahead of Alexander Kristoff (Katusha-Alpecin).
The FDJ rider will have to defend his leader’s jersey in a 152km flat stage from Nimes to Rodilhan, likely an other target for sprinters.
Etoile de Besseges 2017 – stage 1 results (Bellegarde – Beaucaire):
| 1 | Arnaud Demare (FDJ) | 3:34:19 |
| 2 | Alexander Kristoff (Katusha-Alpecin) | ,, |
| 3 | Roy Jans (WB Veranclassic Aqua Protect) | ,, |
| 4 | Florian Senechal (Cofidis) | ,, |
| 5 | Rudy Barbier (AG2R) | ,, |
| 6 | Bert Van Lerberghe (Sport Vlaanderen – Baloise) | ,, |
| 7 | Jasper De Buyst (Lotto Soudal) | ,, |
| 8 | Christophe Laporte (Cofidis) | ,, |
| 9 | Damien Touze (HP BTP – Auber 93) | ,, |
| 10 | Jérémy Lecroq (Roubaix – Lille Metropole) | ,, |
