GP d'Ouverture La Marseillaise - 1.3

France, February 5, 2002

2001 results     Results

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Xavier Jan
Photo ©: AFP
 

Success for BigMat as Jan takes French opener

The BigMat Auber 93 team achieved success in its first race on home territory, the GP d'ouverture La Marseillaise held over 144 km between Allauch and Aubagne. Jan profited from a mistake made by his breakaway companion, Alexandre Botcharov (Ag2r), who went off course with 500m to go and had to be content with second place. In third was Cyril Dessel (Jean Delatour), who led a small group of riders home.

The race was quite aggressive from the start, with Robbie McEwen (Lotto) and Christophe Agnolutto (Ag2R) involved in several early breakaways, eventually getting clear. The pair was still away at Cap Canaille (km 120), the day's main climb, but were then caught and dropped by Xavier Jan, Alexandre Botcharov, Peter Farajzin and Jo Planckaert (Cofidis), Lorenzo Bernucci (Landbouwkrediet).

Jan and Botcharov attacked on the last climb (Carnoux, km 131) and stayed clear to win, as the others were caught by the remnants of the peloton. However, Botcharov went off the parcours with 500m to go to hand the win to Jan.

Christophe Moreau (Credit Agricole) had some bad luck in his first race of the season, when he fell and broke his collarbone. He will be out of action for at least 4 weeks.

Photography

Results

1 Xavier Jan (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93                     3.27.23
2 Alexandre Botcharov (Rus) Ag2r Prévoyance                0.07
3 Cyril Dessel (Fra) Jean Delatour                         0.27
4 Andrea Ferrigato (Ita) Alessio                           0.28
5 Josu Silloniz (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi                    0.30
6 Jo Planckaert (Bel) Cofidis              
7 Giuseppe Palumbo (Ita) De Nardi-Pasta Montegrappa              
8 Oscar Cavagnis (Ita) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago              
9 Paul Van Hyfte (Bel) CSC-Tiscali              
10 Pascal Derame (Fra) Bonjour              
11 Patrice Halgand (Fra) Jean Delatour              
12 Thor Hushovd (Nor) Crédit Agricole              
13 Martin Prazdnovsky (Svk) De Nardi-Pasta Montegrappa
14 Frédéric Mainguenaud (Fra) Bonjour              
15 Frédéric Finot (Fra) Jean Delatour              
16 Steven Van Malderghem (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago     0.36
17 Sébastien Demarbaix (Bel) Ag2r Prévoyance               0.38
18 Christophe Agnolutto (Fra) Ag2r Prévoyance              0.40
19 Inigo Chaurreau (Spa) Ag2r Prévoyance                   0.41
20 Peter Farazijn (Bel) Cofidis                            0.46
21 Frédéric Bessy (Fra) Crédit Agricole                    0.47
22 Lorenzo Bernucci (Ita) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago          0.51
23 Anthony Morin (Fra) Crédit Agricole                     0.58
24 Walter Beneteau (Fra) Bonjour                           1.02
25 Jurgen Vermeersch (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago         2.58
26 Bert Dewaele (Bel) Landbouwkrediet-Colnago              
27 Christophe Mengin (Fra) La Française des Jeux
28 Joona Laukka (Fin) Jean Delatour              
29 Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
30 Jurgen Guns (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim              
31 Roger Hammond (GBr) Palmans-Collstrop              
32 Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team Fakta              
33 Emmanuel Magnien (Fra) Bonjour              
34 Manu L'Hoir (Bel) Team Fakta              
35 Mikel Astarloza (Spa) Ag2r Prévoyance              
36 Roberto Lochowski (Ger) Team Fakta              
37 Andrei Tchmil (Bel) Lotto-Adecco              
38 Geoffrey Demeyere (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim              
39 Alexandre Vinokourov (Kaz) Team Telekom                 3.06
40 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Domo-Farm Frites              
41 Christophe Oriol (Fra) Ag2r Prévoyance              
42 Glenn D'Hollander (Bel) Lotto-Adecco                    3.14
43 Peter Van Petegem (Bel) Lotto-Adecco              
44 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Bonjour              
45 Alberto Martinez (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi              
46 Patrick Jonker (Aus) Big Mat-Auber 93                   5.45
47 Niki Abersold (Swi) Team Coast                          8.06
48 Médéric Clain (Fra) Cofidis              
49 Rolf Huser (Swi) Team Coast              
50 Aitor Kintana Zarate (Spa) Big Mat-Auber 93              
51 Sandy Casar (Fra) La Française des Jeux                 8.10

Courtesy of velomania.net