Poulhiès repeats in Ales

Stéphane Poulhiès (Saur-Sojasun) repeated his feat of a year ago by winning the penultimate stage of the Étoile de Bessèges into Ales. The Frenchman proved too fast for Justin Jules (Véranda Rideau U) and Bobbie Traksel (Landbouwkrediet) in the bunch finish, while Pierre Rolland (Europcar) safely maintained his overall lead ahead of Sunday afternoon’s concluding time trial.

The freezing weather that has struck much of continental Europe in recent days once more played havoc with the race, and organisers were again forced to make alterations to the route. Glaze ice on its upper slopes saw the proposed summit finish at the Col de la Baraque removed from the route, and instead the peloton tackled the lower part of the climb before returning to finish in Ales.

The main break of the morning came 20km into the stage, as Renaud Dion (Bretagne Schuller), Frédéric Amorison (Landbouwkrediet) and Jonathan Hivert (Saur Sojasun) sallied clear of the peloton, although their advantage never stretched beyond the minute mark.

Hivert forced the pace on the way up the truncated climb of the Col de la Baraque, first dropping Dion and then forcing his way clear of Amorison at the beginning of the descent. With 10km to race, Hivert still had 44 seconds in hand on the peloton, but he was eventually swallowed up on the approach to Ales.

In the finishing sprint, it was Poulhiès who emerged from the carnage, seeing off the challenge of Jules and Traksel, while his teammate Jimmy Engoulvent came home in third. Overall, Pierre Rolland has 6 seconds in hand over Franck Vermeulen (Veranda Rideau U) ahead of the afternoon’s short time trial.

Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Stéphane Poulhies (Fra) Saur - Sojasun1:40:35
2Justin Jules (Fra) Veranda Rideau URow 1 - Cell 2
3Bobbie Traksel (Ned) LandbouwkredietRow 2 - Cell 2
4Michael Van Staeyen (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - MercatorRow 3 - Cell 2
5Jimmy Engoulvent (Fra) Saur - SojasunRow 4 - Cell 2
6Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis Le Crédit en LigneRow 5 - Cell 2
7Armindo Fonseca (Fra) Bretagne - SchullerRow 6 - Cell 2
8Anthony Ravard (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 7 - Cell 2
9Kurt Hovelynck (Bel) LandbouwkredietRow 8 - Cell 2
10Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - MercatorRow 9 - Cell 2
11Kris Boeckmans (Bel) Vacansoleil - DCM Pro CyclingRow 10 - Cell 2
12Tom Van Asbroeck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - MercatorRow 11 - Cell 2
13Matthieu Sprick (Fra) Project 1t4iRow 12 - Cell 2
14Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Team EuropcarRow 13 - Cell 2
15Davy Commeyne (Bel) LandbouwkredietRow 14 - Cell 2
16Sven Jodts (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - MercatorRow 15 - Cell 2
17Jean-Luc Delpech (Fra) Bretagne - SchullerRow 16 - Cell 2
18Simon Geschke (Ger) Project 1t4iRow 17 - Cell 2
19Yannick Martinez (Fra) Vélo Club La Pomme MarseilleRow 18 - Cell 2
20Staf Scheirlinckx (Bel) Accent.Jobs - Willems VerandasRow 19 - Cell 2
21Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) An Post - Sean KellyRow 20 - Cell 2
22Maxime Bouet (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 21 - Cell 2
23Romain Matheou (Fra) Veranda Rideau URow 22 - Cell 2
24Davide Malacarne (Ita) Team EuropcarRow 23 - Cell 2
25Rémi Cusin (Fra) Team Type 1 - SanofiRow 24 - Cell 2
26Gaël Malacarne (Fra) Bretagne - SchullerRow 25 - Cell 2
27Dirk Bellemakers (Ned) LandbouwkredietRow 26 - Cell 2
28Ronan Racault (Fra) Auber 93Row 27 - Cell 2
29Guillaume Bonnafond (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 28 - Cell 2
30Koen Barbe (Bel) LandbouwkredietRow 29 - Cell 2
31Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil - DCM Pro CyclingRow 30 - Cell 2
32Dimitri Le Bouch (Fra) Auber 93Row 31 - Cell 2
33Georg Preidler (Aut) Team Type 1 - SanofiRow 32 - Cell 2
34Laszlo Bodrogi (Fra) Team Type 1 - SanofiRow 33 - Cell 2
35Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - MercatorRow 34 - Cell 2
36Anthony Delaplace (Fra) Saur - SojasunRow 35 - Cell 2
37Bert De Waele (Bel) LandbouwkredietRow 36 - Cell 2
38Andy Cappelle (Bel) Accent.Jobs - Willems VerandasRow 37 - Cell 2
39Pierre-Luc Perichon (Fra) Vélo Club La Pomme MarseilleRow 38 - Cell 2
40Julien El Fares (Fra) Team Type 1 - SanofiRow 39 - Cell 2
41Steve Houanard (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 40 - Cell 2
42Sébastien Minard (Fra) AG2R La MondialeRow 41 - Cell 2
43Rémi Di Gregorio (Fra) Cofidis Le Crédit en LigneRow 42 - Cell 2
44Tristan Valentin (Fra) Cofidis Le Crédit en LigneRow 43 - Cell 2
45Bertjan Lindeman (Ned) Vacansoleil - DCM Pro CyclingRow 44 - Cell 2
46Rob Goris (Bel) Accent.Jobs - Willems VerandasRow 45 - Cell 2
47Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) FDJ - Big MatRow 46 - Cell 2
48Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Vacansoleil - DCM Pro CyclingRow 47 - Cell 2
49Jérôme Coppel (Fra) Saur - SojasunRow 48 - Cell 2
50Arnaud Gerard (Fra) FDJ - Big MatRow 49 - Cell 2
51Daniele Colli (Ita) Team Type 1 - SanofiRow 50 - Cell 2
52Yannick Talabardon (Fra) Saur - SojasunRow 51 - Cell 2
53Anthony Geslin (Fra) FDJ - Big MatRow 52 - Cell 2
54Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Saur - SojasunRow 53 - Cell 2
55Thomas Vaubourzeix (Fra) Vélo Club La Pomme MarseilleRow 54 - Cell 2
56David Lelay (Fra) Saur - SojasunRow 55 - Cell 2
57Rein Taaramae (Est) Cofidis Le Crédit en LigneRow 56 - Cell 2
58Rony Martias (Fra) Saur - SojasunRow 57 - Cell 2
59Julien Antomarchi (Fra) Team Type 1 - SanofiRow 58 - Cell 2
60Leif Hoste (Bel) Accent.Jobs - Willems VerandasRow 59 - Cell 2
61Frédéric Amorison (Bel) LandbouwkredietRow 60 - Cell 2
62Jean-Marc Bideau (Fra) Bretagne - SchullerRow 61 - Cell 2
63Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Team EuropcarRow 62 - Cell 2
64Sébastien Chavanel (Fra) Team EuropcarRow 63 - Cell 2
65Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team EuropcarRow 64 - Cell 2
66Franck Vermeulen (Fra) Veranda Rideau URow 65 - Cell 2
67Mark McNally (GBr) An Post - Sean KellyRow 66 - Cell 2
68Niko Eeckhout (Bel) An Post - Sean KellyRow 67 - Cell 2
69Fabien Bacquet (Fra) Auber 93Row 68 - Cell 2
70Renaud Dion (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller0:02:31
71Bert De Backer (Bel) Project 1t4iRow 70 - Cell 2
72Mickaël Olejnik (Pol) Veranda Rideau URow 71 - Cell 2
73Dominique Cornu (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - MercatorRow 72 - Cell 2
74Steven Tronet (Fra) Auber 930:02:35
75Loïc Desriac (Fra) Roubaix Lille Métropole0:02:37
76Maxime Le Montagner (Fra) Veranda Rideau U0:02:39
77Cédric Pineau (Fra) FDJ - Big Mat0:03:31
78Gaylord Cumont (Fra) Veranda Rideau U0:04:16
DNFAdrien Petit (Fra) Cofidis Le Crédit en LigneRow 78 - Cell 2
DNFJure Kocjan (Slo) Team Type 1 - SanofiRow 79 - Cell 2
DNFKevyn Ista (Bel) Accent.Jobs - Willems VerandasRow 80 - Cell 2
DNFJean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) Accent.Jobs - Willems VerandasRow 81 - Cell 2

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