Circuit Sarthe: Jules claims opening stage in Baugé-en-Anjou

One year after he won stage 1 in the Circuit de la Sarthe-Pays de la Loire in wet conditions, Justin Jules of WB-Veranclassic ruined the hopes of the favourites once again as most of the inaugural stage of the 66th edition of the French stage was held under a pouring rain from Le Mans to Baugé-en-Anjou. He took the final curve with 150 metres to go in first position ahead of La Roue Tourangelle winner Marc Sarreau (Groupama-FDJ) while Bryan Coquard (Vital Concept) slipped at the exit of the bend.

"I launched my sprint before the turn, it was the only way to win," Jules explained. "Coming close to the line, I was losing speed and Sarreau was coming from behind faster than me. Luckily, I managed to maintain a bit of an advantage. This race brings me luck. Tomorrow, it's a fairly easy course, so I hope to stay in the lead before the stage that should shape the GC on Thursday. This year, there isn't a time trial to play to my disadvantage. I believe I have my chances on GC as well. I'll give it all to defend the jersey. I'm in a better form than last year."

Over the course of a year, Jules didn't win a single race but the 31-year-old collected a few top three results like second in the Tour de Vendée. He wasn't listed as a favourite against the quartet of French sprinters (Sarreau, Coquard, Nacer Bouhanni, Thomas Boudat) and Italians Manuel Belletti and Giacomo Nizzolo but his WB-Veranclassics team rode behind the breakaway formed at kilometre six. It was composed of Romain Hardy (Fortuneo-Samsic), Romain Combaud (Delko Marseille-Provence KTM), Oscar Riesebeek (Rompoot), Mattia Frapporti (Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec) and Juan Felipe Osorio (Manzana-Postobon). Groupama-FDJ and Vital Concept were the most active teams in the chase while Sarreau lamented the passivity of Direct Energie at the finish.

Bouhanni called it a race before reaching the final circuit with 80km to go. The Cofidis staff reported the cold to have harmed the star sprinter who has been frequently sidelined with injury or illness over the last two seasons.

The pressure was on Coquard who has claimed only one victory in his new colours of Vital Concept (stage 1 of the Tour of Oman) and didn't finish the Ronde van Vlaanderen last Sunday. The Frenchman took the last curve in fifth position and slipped on the wet road along with Boudat (Direct Energie) and Jordan Parra (Manzana-Postobon). As he went back on his bike, he was fuming and called the organizers "assassins".

"Riders who aren't well positioned take risks and it usually ends the same way," Sarreau commented. "It's often the same riders who take risks too. The rain made it even more dangerous today. I'm maybe not in my best form but in a good form that makes me ambitious for the coming days."

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