Stephane Rossetto (BigMat) got close to one of the biggest wins of his career when he finished second in the first stage of the Tour du Limousin. The Frenchman now finds himself in a good position to challenge for a spot on the final podium.

Riding for the small BigMat team, Stephane Rossetto has often proved that he is able to mix it up with the WorldTour riders. Today he again proved his climbing skills when he finished second in the first stage of the Tour du Limousin.

Rossetto had made it into a 19-rider group that escaped in the finale but missed the boat when Bjorn Leukemans attacked. Taking off in pursuit, he managed to take second on the stage and now finds himself in the same place in the overall standings.

"The scenario was the same as in 2013," he told Directvelo. "We had a breakaway, then FDJ.fr chased in the bunch. Another group got clar and then Ag2r started to chase.

"The race was decided by the legs. We rarely see this kind of racing in the pro ranks apart from in the classics. It must be said that the course suited me well. I had good legs today. After the Tour du Poitou-Charentes, I will take a break to prepare for the French championships in the individual pursuit."