The Grand Prix Cycliste la Marseillaise today announced the start of the French cycling season. After yesterday's rain, the roads were still slippery at some places but the race took place without any rain today and the temperature was around 8°C.

Jérémy Roy (FDJ) won this first French cycling race of the 2011 season!

The summary of the Grand Prix Cycliste d'Ouverture la Marseillaise 2011

With 134 riders at the start (Jérôme Cousin [Team Europcar] didn't start) early this afternoon in front of the Conseil Général des Bouches-du-Rhône in Marseille (see the article The Grand Prix Cycliste la Marseillaise 2011 race route on Google Maps/Google Earth to see the detailed race route), the peloton started with 139.7 kilometers from the real start in Logis Neuf (Allauch). On today's race route, the riders found 3 official climbs with the col du Petit Galibier (km 62), the col de l'Espigoulier (km 87) and the climb towards Julhan les Bastides (km 110).

As you might know, this was the first French race in which the use of two-way radio communication was forbidden! This topic has led to lots of discussion but apparently the UCI is determined about this because the UCI Management Committee reconfirmed the progressive prohibition of two-way radio last Friday, in the interests of maintaining the quality of the sporting spectacle.

The new pro cycling team of the French peloton, La Pomme Marseille (which has become a Continental team for the first time this year with a Latvian licence), was the team of the first rider who attacked today: Toms Skujins. He got company from Ronan van Zandbeek (Skil-Shimano) and also from Guillaume Faucon (BigMat-Auber 93) but the 3 riders were quickly taken back.

On the top of the first short climb of the day, towards Les Termes, the first leading group of the race was formed by Sylvain Georges for BigMat-Auber 93, Julien Guay for Roubaix-Lille Métropole and Jérémy Roy for FDJ. Their gap quickly grew and stabilised around 7 minutes!

On the top of the first mountain of the day, the Petit Galibier, Sylvain Georges was the first to start the descent, ahead of Guay and Roy. In this climb the peloton was split in two while the leading group started the climb of the col de l'Espigoulier, which was the highest point of the race. On top of this mountain, the rider from Tours, Jérémy Roy, arrived ahead of Georges and Guay. When the peloton also arrived on top their gap was back to 3'35".

In the descent, Julien Guay couldn't keep up with the two other riders and Georges and Roy thus formed the leading duo of the race.

In Julhan les Bastides they still have a 3 minute gap when Sylvain Georges wins the King of the Mountain classification by getting on the top ahead of Roy. Johnny Hoogerland (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team) arrives third on top, leading the peloton.
At that time, Jérémy Roy decided to attack and continue alone! This attack turned out to be decisive.

The rider who's always been faithful to Française des Jeux (which has become FDJ in the mean time) since the start of his pro career at the end of 2003, manages to create a gap of over one minute on Georges while the gap with the peloton remains pretty much the same.

He than knows he's going for the victory and he manages to take it in 3h30'55" while Sylvain Georges stays ahead of the peloton and thus takes the 2nd place, ahead of Romain Feillu (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team) who finishes 3rd.

The top 15 of the final classification

Here's the top 15 of the final classification of the Grand Prix Cycliste la Marseillaise:

1 Jérémy Roy (FDJ)
2 Sylvain Georges (BigMat-Auber 93)
3 Romain Feillu (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
4 Jure Kocjan (Team Type 1)
5 Arthur Vichot (FDJ)
6 Cyril Gautier (Team Europcar)
7 Riccardo Ricco (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
8 Cédric Pineau (FDJ)
9 Julien Antomarchi (La Pomme Marseille)
10 Julien El Farès (Cofidis)
11 Guillaume Levarlet (Saur-Sojasun)
12 Jonathan Hivert (Saur-Sojasun)
13 Sander Armée (Topsport Vlaanderen)
14 Lieuwe Westra (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
15 Thibaut Pinot (FDJ)

Some photos at the start of the Grand Prix Cycliste la Marseillaise

Below you can find some photos at the start of the Grand Prix d'Ouverture la Marseillaise, taken by Olivier Ernst. Click on the photos to zoom in.
Cyril Gauthier with the new colours of the Team Europcar, Mathieu Drujon with his new team BigMat-Auber 93 and Evaldas Siskevicius ready for the start of the first race of the VC La Pomme Marseille Continental team


The cars and buses in the 2011 colours of the teams Bretagne-Schuller, Katusha and Europcar!

The video of the Grand Prix Cycliste la Marseillaise 2011

And if you would like to see Jérémy Roy's (FDJ) victory in the Grand Prix Cycliste la Marseillaise 2011, check pluzz.fr, in the JT 19/20 of France 3 Provence-Alpes. Starting at 12'45" and until 14'35" you'll find the images of the race!

door Thomas Vergouwen
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this publication is published in: Grand Prix Cycliste la Marseillaise | Coupe de France

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