Angelo Tulik crowned a fabulous Europcar performance in the French one-day race La Roue Tourangelle when he took a beautiful solo win ahead of Yauheni Hutarovich (Ag2r) and Adrien Petit (Cofidis). The Frenchman was one of five riders from his team to make the decisive 20-rider group early in the race and after surviving the gradual selection, he made a gutsy move inside the final 3km to hold off the faster finishers and take the second win of his career.

Less than a year ago Angelo Tulik makde a big coup at the Tour de Fjords when he attacked in the finale of a clear stage for the sprinters to hold off the fastest finishers for his first professional win. Today he again proved his finisseur skills when he attacked in the finale of La Roue Tourangelle to take the second win of his professional career in similar fashion.

Unlike his Norwegian win, however, this victory was not taken by denying a big peloton in the finale. On the other hand, he found himself in a much more comfortable situation and he was one of just 6 surviving members of a big 20-rider group that had escaped early in the stage.

With most of the big teams represented in the front group and plenty of rain falling on the riders, the peloton never made it back to the front group. When it was clear that the winner would be one of the escapees, the attacking started and the gradual elimination constantly sent riders out the back door.

Anthony Geslin (FDJ), Tulik and Adrien Petit managed to escape and the trio seemed to be riding away with the win. However, Yauheni Hutarovich refused to give up and despite having Yannick Martinez (Europcar) and Christophe Laporte (Cofidis) as passengers - both riders had teammates in the front trio - he managed to close the gap to make it 6 leaders.

With Petit, Martinez and Hutarovich all being renowned sprinters, most expected it to come down to a final dash between those fast finishers but Tulik had different plans. Inside the final 3km, he gave it a go and did an impressive job to build a 16-second gap at the flamme rouge.

In the chase group, Laporte did his best to chase for his teammate Petit but it was all too late and Tulik crossed the line with time to spare to take his second solo win of his career. Behind, Hutarovich beat Petit to take a well-earned 2nd place after doing a lot of work to get back into contention on a day when he proved that he is more than a pure sprinter.

The French season continues next weekend when the GP de la Somme takes place on Sunday to continue the season-long national competition, Coupe de France.

A lumpy profile

The 200km La Roue Tourangelle took place on a lumpy course from Noyant de Touraine to Tours in terrain that was very well-known from Paris-Tours. The race had a lumpy profile with 7 small categorized climbs along the way but there was also lots of flat roads in between. The final climb came just 10km from the finish and from there it was downhill and flat to the line in Tours.

The race took off under torrential rain and the brutal weather conditions would have a big impact on the racing. Julien Duval (Roubaix) attacked straight from the gun but failed to get clear and instead Anthony Geslin (FDJ) and Rudy Barbier (Roubaix) gave it a go.

The break goes clear

That duo didn't have any success either but the depleted FDJ squad was on a mission to attack. Cedric Pineau was the next to try but his move was similarly ill-fated.

Thomas Vaubourzeix ( La Pomme Marseille 13 ), Maxime Daniel (AG2R La Mondiale) , Jerome Cousin ( Europcar) , Anthony Delaplace (Bretagne), Marcos Garcia ( Cara Rural), Ivan Balykin ( Rusvelo ) and Laurent Pillon ( Roubaix- Lille Métropole ) were the next to try and they had more luck than the first attackers. At the 17km mark, they were 35 seconds ahead while Cofidis had started to chase.

More riders join from behind

The fierce pace caused several splits in the peloton that broke into three parts. A bigger group slipped clear and they joined the front group after 25km of racing.

Geslin, Julian Kern, Hutarovich(AG2R La Mondiale) , Bryan Coquard , Yohann Gene, Martinez , Tulik (Europcar ), Gert Joeaar , Laporte, Petit, Julien Fouchard, Stephane Poulhies ( Cofidis), Anthony Delaplace (Bretagne) Flavien Dassonville (BigMat - Auber 93), Julien Duval ( Roubaix -Lille Métropole ) Frederic Amorisson, Thomas Rostallan (La Pomme Marseille) and Loic Pestiaux ( Wallonie-Bruxelles ) were the riders to join the move and they fought hard to stay clear of the peloton that had regrouped. At the 37km mark, they were 50 seconds ahead as Pestiaux fell off the pace.

The break battles hard to stay away

The latter managed to rejoin the group that finally seemed to get a bit more leeway. At the 54km mark, they were two minutes ahead but the fast pace put several escapees in difficulty.

Garcia was the next to get dropped but he managed to rejoin the front that battled hard to stay away from the peloton led by Bretagne. The gap stayed around the 2-minute mark but at the 100km mark, the peloton seemed to give up which prompted defending champion Mickael Delage (FDJ) to make an attack.

The peloton refuses to give up

It was mission impossible for Delage, however, and he fell back to the main group that was no 5 minutes behind. However, the peloton came back to life and when it upped the pace, it split into two bigger group with the first one bringing the gap back down to 2.35.

The break started to splinter when Kern, Joeaar, Balykin, Pillon and Rostollan fell off the pace. Kern, Joeaaar and Balykin managed to rejoin the group while the first peloton was stil 2.40 behind with 70km to go.

The elimination starts

As the sun started to shine, the gap stayed stable over the next twenty kilometres and when the break hit some hillier roads, more riders got dropped. Vaubourzeix, Gene, Joeaar, Poulhies and Balykin were all left behind and this time there was no coming back.

With 50km to go, the front group had been whittled down to just Geslin (FDJ.fr), Kern, Hutarovich, Daniel (AG2R La Mondiale), Cousin, Coquard, Martinez, Tulik (Europcar), Fouchard, Laporte, Petit (Cofidis), Dassonville (BigMat-Auber 93), Pillon, Duval (Roubaix-Lille Métropole) and Pestiaux, Amorisson (Wallonie-Bruxelles) and it was now clear that they would go on to decide the winner. Kern, Dassonville and Pillon fell off as the attacking finally started inside the final 40km.

A trip go clear

Geslin, Tulik and Petit got clear and they quickly opened a 15-second gap while Dassonville rejoined the chasers. There was no cooperation, however, and the second group again split up when Amorison, Duval, Laporte, Daniel and Martinez got clear.

The front trio were 20 seconds ahead with 20km to go while Coquard, Cousin, Hutarovich Dassonville and Fouchard were now more one minute back. While most of them dropped further back, Hutarovich and Fouchard contined and impressively they joined the 5 chaser 17km from the line.

Impressive Hutarovich gets back

Over the Cote de l'Epan, Hutarovich, Laporte and Martinez escaped while Amorisson, Fouchard, Duval and Daniel faded back. Just 4km from the line, the junction was made to make it a front sextet.

As they started to look at each other in the front group, Fouchard and Duval got to within 8 seconds of them but this was the signal for Tulik to attack. His former companions hesitated and so he could pass the flamme rouge with a 16-second advantage.

Tulik managed to keep his chasers at bay and he could cross the line to take a big solo win. 12 seconds later Hutarovich beat Petit and Geslin in the sprint for second.