33rd Etoile des Bessèges - 2.3

France, February 5-9, 2003

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Stage 1 - February 5: Saint-Cannat - Sainte-Tulle, 153.5 km

Baldato takes early lead

Fabio Baldato
Photo: © AFP

Fabio Baldato (Alessio) has won the first stage and taken the leader's jersey in the Etoile de Bessèges, the first French stage race on the calendar. Baldato outsprinted a group of five riders into Sainte-Tulle, with Franck Bouyer (Brioches La Boulangère) and Mickael Skelde (Team fakta) taking second and third respectively.

The crucial break in the 153.5 km opening stage from Saint-Cannat to Sainte-Tulle came on the Côte Pierrevert (km 127), where Baldato, Bouyer and Skelde together with Fabrice Salanson (Brioches La Boulangère) and Staf Scheirlinckx (Flanders-IteamNova) successfully broke clear of the peloton. The five wer chased by another nine riders, who were not able to bridge the gap, and the leaders rode out to a one minute plus advantage. Baldato had no problems accounting for the other four in the sprint, demonstrating that his off-season work has been solid.

Photography

Images by Nicolas Leroy

Fabio Baldato (Alessio) on the podium
Inigo Chaurreau Bernardez (Ag2r) before the race
Jacky Durand keeping his head warm
Jimmy Casper (Fdjeux.com)
Robbie McEwen leads the peloton
Nicolas Fritsch (Fdjeux.com)
Nicolas Meunier (Big Mat-Auber 93)
Riders on the Mirabeau bridge
Régis Lhuiller (Fdjeux.com), best young rider
The breakaway makes good their escape
Tom Steels (Landbouwkrediet)
Jurgen Van De Walle (Vlaanderen-T Interim), best climber
A view of the peloton
Riders await the start
Fabio Baldato after the race
Baldato is the winner of stage 1
Baldato wearing the leader jersey
Baldato crosses the line

Images by AFP Photo/Gerard Julien

Fabio Baldato (Alessio) wins the first stage of the Etoile des Bessèges in St Tulle
Fabio Baldato (Alessio) punches the air as he wins the first stage of the Etoile des Bessèges in St Tulle
A happy Fabio Baldato on the podium with his victory bouquet
Fabio Baldato (Alessio) kissed on the podium after winning the first stage of the Etoile des Bessèges in St Tulle

Results

1 Fabio Baldato (Ita) Alessio                        3.47.06 (40.423 km/h)
2 Franck Bouyer (Fra) La Boulangère
3 Michael Skelde (Den) Team Fakta
4 Fabrice Salanson (Fra) La Boulangère
5 Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Flanders-IteamNova
6 Régis Lhuiller (Fra) Fdjeux.com                       1.04
7 Andrea Ferrigato (Ita) Alessio
8 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) La Boulangère
9 Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) Crédit Agricole
10 Peter Farazijn (Bel) Cofidis
11 Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
12 Lorenzo Bernucci (Ita) Landbouwkrediet
13 Jérôme Bernard (Fra) Jean Delatour
14 Johan Coenen (Bel) Marlux                            1.33
15 Jo Planckaert (Bel) Cofidis                          2.15
16 Frédéric Gabriel (Fra) MBK-Oktos
17 Anthony Charteau (Fra) La Boulangère
18 Laurent Lefevre (Fra) Jean Delatour
19 Olivier Trastour (Fra) Ag2r
20 Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Lotto-Domo
21 Wim Van Huffel (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
22 Frank Høj (Den) Team Fakta
23 Inigo Chaurreau Bernardez (Spa) Ag2r
24 Julien Laidoun (Fra) Ag2r                            3.03
25 Mickael Pichon (Fra) Fdjeux.com                      4.44
26 Franck Renier (Fra) La Boulangère                   13.33
27 Dimitri Konyshev (Rus) Marlux
28 Yuriy Metluschenko (Ukr) Landbouwkrediet
29 Cédric Fragniere (Swi) Crédit Agricole
30 Frederik Willems (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
31 Bert Scheirlinckx (Bel) Flanders-IteamNova
32 Andrea Brognara (Ita) Alessio
33 Cédric Herve (Fra) Crédit Agricole
34 Maryan Hary (Fra) La Boulangère
35 Heiko Szonn (Ger) Flanders-IteamNova
36 Dominique Perras (Can) Flanders-IteamNova
37 Ludo Dierckxsens (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
38 Mickaël Buffaz (Fra) Jean Delatour
39 Martin Rittsel (Swe) Team Fakta
40 Jean-Patrick Nazon (Fra) Jean Delatour
41 Walter Bénéteau (Fra) La Boulangère
42 Andy Capelle (Bel) Marlux
43 Erki Putsepp (Est) Ag2r
44 Angelo Furlan (Ita) Alessio
45 Michael Rheis (Den) Team Fakta
46 Alberto Vinale (Ita) Alessio
47 Frédéric Finot (Fra) Jean Delatour
48 Fabian De Waele (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
49 Chris Peers (Bel) Cofidis
50 Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) Fdjeux.com
51 Allan Johansen (Den) Team Fakta
52 Didier Rous (Fra) La Boulangère
53 Jens Voigt (Ger) Crédit Agricole
54 Christophe Moreau (Fra) Crédit Agricole
55 Tom Flammang (Lux) Cofidis
56 Lénaïc Olivier (Fra) MBK-Oktos
57 Jimmy Casper (Fra) Fdjeux.com
58 Geert Verheyen (Bel) Marlux
59 Lilian Jegou (Fra) Crédit Agricole
60 Steven Kleynen (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
61 Robert Hayles (GBr) Cofidis
62 Ludovic Auger (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
63 Magnus Bäckstedt (Swe) Team Fakta
64 Roger Hammond (GBr) Collstrop-Palmans
65 Marcus Ljungqvist (Swe) Crédit Agricole
66 Kurt-Asle Arvesen (Nor) Team Fakta
67 Ludovic Capelle (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
68 Jef Peeters (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
69 Johan Verstrepen (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
70 Saulius Ruskys (Ltu) Marlux
71 Philippe Koehler (Fra) MBK-Oktos
72 Loïc Lamouller (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
73 Nico Mattan (Bel) Cofidis
74 Plamen Stoianov (Bul) Big Mat-Auber 93
75 Vincent Templier (Fra) MBK-Oktos
76 Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Fdjeux.com
77 Werner Riebenbauer (Aut) Team Fakta
78 Nicolas Meunier (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
79 Stéphane Berges (Fra) Ag2r
80 Tom Stremersch (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
81 Christophe Rinero (Fra) MBK-Oktos
82 Tom Steels (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
83 Bruno Thibout (Fra) Jean Delatour
84 Enrico Cassani (Ita) Alessio
85 Danny Daelman (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
86 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Jean Delatour
87 Guillaume Auger (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
88 Philippe Gaumont (Fra) Cofidis
89 Robert Sassone (Fra) Cofidis
90 Ivaïlo Gabrovski (Bul) MBK-Oktos
91 Stéphane Barthe (Fra) MBK-Oktos
92 Steve De Wolf (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
93 Christophe Agnolutto (Fra) Ag2r
94 Jehudi Schoonacker (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
95 Pierre Bourquenoud (Swi) Jean Delatour
96 Claudio Lucchini (Ita) Landbouwkrediet
97 Geoffrey Demeyere (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
98 Nicolas Liboreau (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
99 Geert Omloop (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
100 Aart Vierhouten (Ned) Lotto-Domo
101 Christophe Stevens (Bel) Marlux
102 Serge Baguet (Bel) Lotto-Domo
103 Kevin Van Impe (Bel) Lotto-Domo
104 Niels Brouzes (Fra) Big Mat-Auber 93
105 Bert Roesems (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
106 Frederik Penne (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
107 Stefano Casagranda (Ita) Alessio
108 Jaan Kirsipuu (Est) Ag2r
109 Nico Sijmens (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
110 Gert Steegmans (Bel) Lotto-Domo
111 Andy De Smet (Bel) Collstrop-Palmans
112 Manu L'Hoir (Bel) Marlux
113 Ludovic Turpin (Fra) Ag2r
114 Peter Van Petegem (Bel) Lotto-Domo
115 Jacky Durand (Fra) Fdjeux.com
116 Nicolas Fritsch (Fra) Fdjeux.com
117 Alexei Sivakov (Rus) Big Mat-Auber 93
118 Nick Gates (Aus) Lotto-Domo
119 Robbie McEwen (Aus) Lotto-Domo
120 Davide Casarotto (Ita) Alessio
121 Matthew Wilson (Aus) Fdjeux.com
122 Jérôme Lepron (Fra) Flanders-IteamNova             16.46
123 Lorenzo Di Silvestro (Ita) MBK-Oktos               19.15
124 Thierry Masschelein (Bel) Flanders-IteamNova       25.24
125 Youri Deliens (Bel) Flanders-IteamNova
DNF Geoffrey Coupe (Bel) Marlux
DNF Geoffrey Gremelpont (Bel) Flanders-IteamNova


General classification after stage 1

1 Fabio Baldato (Ita) Alessio                        3.46.56
2 Franck Bouyer (Fra) La Boulangère                     0.03
3 Michael Skelde (Den) Team Fakta                       0.04
4 Fabrice Salanson (Fra) La Boulangère                  0.07
5 Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Flanders-IteamNova            0.10
6 Régis Lhuiller (Fra) Fdjeux.com                       1.13
7 Andrea Ferrigato (Ita) Alessio                        1.14
8 Jérôme Pineau (Fra) La Boulangère
9 Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) Crédit Agricole
10 Peter Farazijn (Bel) Cofidis
11 Jurgen Van De Walle (Bel) Vlaanderen-T Interim
12 Lorenzo Bernucci (Ita) Landbouwkrediet
13 Jérôme Bernard (Fra) Jean Delatour
14 Johan Coenen (Bel) Marlux                            1.42
15 Jo Planckaert (Bel) Cofidis                          2.23
16 Frédéric Gabriel (Fra) MBK-Oktos
17 Anthony Charteau (Fra) La Boulangère                 2.25
18 Laurent Lefevre (Fra) Jean Delatour
19 Olivier Trastour (Fra) Ag2r
20 Wim Vansevenant (Bel) Lotto-Domo

Courtesy of Velomania.net