Hivert claims French season opener

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The newest Professional Continental team, Saur-Sojasun scored a major victory in the first French race of the season, the Gran Prix la Marseillaise. Jonathan Hivert sprinted to the win ahead of Vacansoleil's Johnny Hoogerland and Frenchman Samuel Dumoulin.

The traditional European season opener got underway in cold temperatures and strong winds, but thankfully clear skies. Perhaps seeking to generate some body heat, the riders were aggressive from the start, with numerous attacks going but no clear escape.

After 10km, Julien El Farès (Cofidis), Lieuwe Westra (Vacansoleil) and Jussi Veikkanen (Française des Jeux) finally managed to break clear with Thomas de Gendt (Topsport Vlaanderen) chasing alone.

The peloton was happy to take a little rest, and soon the escapees gained a minute's lead, which ballooned into more than six minutes on the peloton by kilometre 30. Poor de Gendt wasn't making up any ground on the trio, and was in no man's land, two minutes ahead of the main bunch.

On the petit Galibier, de Gendt gave up and went back to the peloton, while El Fares, Westra and Veikkanen began losing time. El Fares took the sprint at the summit, but at the base of the next climb, the col de l'Espigoulier, the leaders' advantage had been reduced to 3:30, then 2:20 at the top where El Farès once again took the lead.

At km 100, the peloton was led by AG2R-La Mondiale and Vacansoleil had brought the gap down to 1:40. Having secured the mountains classification, El Farès sat up and left his two companions to soldier on alone.

With 30km to go, Westra and Veikkanen still maintained a sub-minute lead over a nervous peloton. On the final climb, the Gineste, Westra had 40 seconds and the attacks began in earnest.

With a furious pace on the climb, Westra was swept up by a lead group. The race came down to a sprint which was taken by Hivert ahead of Hoogerland, Dumoulin, Cummings and Di Gregorio