Steven Tronet (Auber 93) took the biggest win of his career when he powered clear of the field in the tough uphill sprint that decided the first stage of the Route du Sud. After a late break had been brought back inside the final kilometre, the Frenchman was in a class of his own as he easily distanced Romain Hardy (Cofidis) and Michael Carbel (Cult) to take both the stage victory and the first leader’s jerset in the four-day race.

Steven Tronet may not be a household name in the professional cycling world but the Frenchman is well-known in France. With his powerful uphill sprint, he has achieved numerous remarkable results in several French races but until today he had only won a single major race, a stage of the 2012 Circuit de Lorraine.

Today Tronet proved that he is a great puncheur when he won the first stage of the Route du Sud in impressive fashion. With Alberto Contador and Nairo Quintana both on the start line, the race gets a lot of attention and so the Frenchman suddenly finds himself in the spotlight.

"To take the win I had to use all my skills: the sprint and the ability to survive small climbs," he told Directvelo. "I was in the top five with 500m to go. I watched Coquard and expected him to do a sprint in two stages. But when he sat down with 200m to go, he did not do his second acceleration. Tomorrow, there will again be a sprint finish, why not try my luck again?"