Farrar resumes with Franco-Belge stage win

Image 1 of 13

Team Garmin-Slipstream's sprinter Tyler Farrar took the win and the overall lead in the 213km first stage of the 69th Circuit Franco-Belge on Thursday. The 25-year-old American took the ninth win of his breakthrough season, which has also included major victories at the Vuelta a Espana and the Vatenfall Cyclassics.

This time Farrar held off Italy's Danilo Napolitano (Team Katusha) and Belgium's Tom Boonen (Quick Step) after a bunch sprint in Mouscron, Belgium. The win is a boost to Farrar's morale as he aims to win the so-called sprinters' classic Paris-Tours in less than two weeks.

While many riders have already called the season quits, a strong field lined up in Templeuve, France, for the opening stage. The peloton, including 11 ProTour teams, rode towards Belgium, where the stage finished in Mouscron, just across the border with France near the world-renowned town of Roubaix.

In a style befitting the surrounds, a breakaway took off early in the stage including French riders Renaud Dion (AG2R La Mondiale) and Cédric Coutouly (Besson Chaussures - Sojasun) plus Belgian Wim De Vocht (Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team).

The peloton took it easy during the first hour and allowed the three to build up a lead of 11:10 with the gap five kilometres in distance, although that quickly decreased once the peloton got going. Belgian squad Landbouwkrediet-Colnago team took most of the initiative at the head of the bunch.

Halfway through the race, the speed in the peloton continued to pick up and the three leaders only had a gap of five minutes after 120km of racing.

De Vocht held off his two French companions at the first intermediate sprint, and after 152km, the leaders crossed the finish line in Mouscron for the first time. Three laps of 20km on the local circuit remained - more than the breakaway group could handle on its own out front.

In the peloton, Garmin-Slipstream headed affairs, managing the gap at 1:10. De Vocht dropped out of the breakaway and was quickly caught, while the two French riders managed to stay in front until just after the second intermediate sprint; Dion won it ahead of Coutouly.

The pace in the race remained high with several riders trying to sneak away in the finale. An attempt from Gianni Meersman (Française Des Jeux) was neutralised by Rabobank but then Tom Leezer (Rabobank), Tom Veelers (Skil-Shimano) and Vuelta star Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team) combined forces and jumped away shortly after the final intermediate sprint.

With 14km to go the trio had a gap of 25 seconds on the peloton, but with less than three kilometres to go they were caught.

The peloton hammered towards a bunch sprint, which was won by Farrar, ahead of Napolitano, Boonen, Juan José Haedo (Team Saxo Bank) and Matthew Hayman (Rabobank).

Stage 2 will kick off in Maubeuge, France, and head back to Belgium, in order to finish in Poperinge after 225km.