Having already won twice this season, Steven Tronet (Auber 93) mad a sensation by winning the first stage of the Route du Sud.

The FDJ team led by Frédéric Guesdon and Christophe Mengin, lined up without Alexandre Géniez who is not fully recobered from his excellent Giro. With no ambition for the overall, the team will focus on going on the attack

"This is why Cédric Pineau joined in the breakaway," explains Frédéric Guesdon. "But four riders were not enough to mke it. The peloton accelerated much in the finale on the many climbs and got back quickly. A counter-attack of six riders got clear (caught within 2 kilometers from the finish) but Olivier Le Gac was almost made it. He was well-placed and was about to join the group when he suffered a puncture."

FDJ could still rely on the two fastest riders but like many riders, Lorrenzo Manzin fell behind in the final 10 km. Anthony Roux was a little too far back at the bottom of the climb to the finish. He passed many rider riders but had to settle for seventh place.

"I am in average shape," Pineau told Directvelo. "I have not raced since the Giro. I immediately got to work. But I was happy to be in the break because I rarely have the opportunity to be part of such moves. There were three Spanish-speaking riders in the break, we did not always understand each other but we tried until the end and we got along well."