Nocentini gets it in Grimaud

After finishing second overall at last week's Tour Méditerranéen, Rinaldo Nocentini (Ag2r-La Mondiale) has given himself a good opportunity of going one better at the Tour du Haut Var after he claimed the opening stage of the two-day race on Saturday afternoon.

The Italian pounced with less than a kilometre and surged away on an uphill finish to deny Cofidis' Samuel Damoulin and Belgian Bert De Waele (Landbouwcredit). Nocentini's victory means he will take a two second lead into Sunday's second and final stage.

"I had a beautiful Tour Méditerranéen, but second was not sufficient and this is a great victory," said Nocentini afterwards. "I worked hard this winter, I made sacrifices and it was important for me to win early in the season. My team worked hard to put me in the best position at 400 meters from the line."

It was the Italian's first stage win since last season's Tour of California and the first leader's jersey he has worn since his eight-day stint in the malliot jaune at the 2009 Tour de France.

"Tomorrow I hope to keep the jersey and why not win the stage," said Nocentini. "In any case, this victory gives me confidence ahead of my major goal: Paris-Nice. "

It was the third victory for Ag2r-La Mondiale this season and their first on European soil.

Nocentini strong season start continues

Team Sky had taken control of the bunch as the race entered its final 20 kilometres. Italian Morris Possoni (Sky) launched a pre-emptive strike to soften the still intact peloton. While his move was short-lived, it precipitated a rise in pace for the entire field.

Maintaining their presence at the head of the race, Sky's Michael Barry took point position in the bunch as the race galloped below 10 kilometres to go.

Anxious to show themselves on home soil, French riders made several attempts to spoil any potential sprinters' party as Jean-Marc Bideut (Bretagne Schuller) let fly with six kilometres to race. He survived alone for two kilometres before being engulfed by the peloton once more.

Next to try his luck was Caisse d'Epargne's Arnaud Coyot. His attack down the left hand side of the road saw order abandoned in the peloton as teams surged to the front; groups of two or three riders fighting to counter one another and move clear.

As the stage entered the outskirts of Grimaud and the road reared slightly towards the finish, Rinaldo Nocentini (Ag2r-La Mondiale) was the man with the power to open a gap. The Italian swung right into the short finishing straight to claim victory with several bike-lengths advantage over Samuel Damoulin (Cofidis) and Bert De Waele (Landbouwcredit).

Sunday's second stage will see the peloton cover a 200.7 kilometre journey from Draguignan to Montauroux.