Masciarelli magnificent at Mont Faron

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Mont Faron lived up to its legendary early-season status as Francesco Masciarelli (Acqua e Sapone) rode to victory atop its famed summit on the fifth and final stage of the 2010 Tour Méditerranéen. The Italian was followed across the line by Alejandro Valverde (Caisse d'Epargne) and Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2r-La Mondiale).

For Valverde, his second place result was enough to secure overall victory as he wiped out his pre-stage 10 second deficit to Finland's Jussi Veikkanen (Française Des Jeux).

Masciarelli set up his victory as he attacked the peloton as part of a group three kilometres from the finish. After catching and subsequently passing the remnants of an earlier breakaway the Italian then set off in lone pursuit of the finish line with his cartoon Tasmanian devil scarf draped around his neck.

For Masciarelli, who has ridden for Aqua a Sapone since the start of his professional career in 2005, the victory was only the fourth added to his palmares and his first since the 2008 Giro del Lazio.

Weather picks up where it left off on stage four, Di Gregorio determined

With the weather apparently playing ball at the start in La Ciotat, three riders grabbed their lottery tickets and took their leave from the peloton. Mathieu Perget (Caisse d'Epargne), Remy Di Gregorio (Française Des Jeux) and Thierry Hupond (Skil-Shimano) forming part of the first escape of the day.

But the wild weather experienced by the peloton continued and perhaps heeding the omen, the trio were brought back to the group in time for organisers to reduced the course length due to a small snow storm. Fortunately for the fans and riders the disruption was short-lived and the journey towards Toulon could resume in earnest.

Di Gregorio once again went on the attack, this time with Brice Feillu (Vacansoleil). The two Frenchmen worked hard to establish an advantage and despite the later presence of another ten companions, the break was once again cancelled by the determined peloton.

Clearly unhappy to accept his fate, Di Gregorio took off for a third time along with teammate Mikael Cherel, Ludovic Turpin (AG2R La Mondiale), Leonardo Duque (Cofidis), Paul Martens (Rabobank) and Dimtriy Fofonov (Astana). This time, the break stuck. It moved out to an advantage of almost three minutes as the final summit loomed.

With a number of riders locked in the battle for the final overall, the break's advantage was sucked rapidly away as they hit the foot of the Faron with less than a minute of their earlier gains.

Turpin, Di Gregorio and Fofonov proved to be the strongest in the lead group as they dispatched their companions. But, as their advantage ticked closer to single digits a group including Remi Pauriol (Cofidis), Alexandre Vinokourov (Astana) and Francesco Masciarelli (Acqua e Sapone) emerged from the bunch behind.

As Vinokorov and Pauriol joined forces with Turpin, Di Gregorio and Fofonov, it was Masciarelli who took the initiative as he built his own advantage. While the others were consumed close to the line Masciarelli held firm to take the summit finish.