Axel Laurance won at the end of a strong final, this Thursday, during the second stage of the Étoiles de Bessèges between Marguerite and Rousson (163.58 km). Setting out as a puncher on the final climb towards the Plateau de Castellase, the 22-year-old Frenchman resisted the return of Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek).
Kévin Vauquelin (Arkéa-B & B Hotels) completes the podium. Laurence, U23 world champion, also takes the leader’s jersey since the first stage, scheduled for Wednesday, had been canceled.
6 French people in the top 10
Behind Axel Laurance, winner, and Kévin Vauquelin 3rd, other French people also shone. Rémy Rochas (Groupama-FDJ), finished 5th, just behind his teammate Kevin Géniets, the recent winner of the GP La Marseillaise. Rochas was the first to launch hostilities but he was countered by Laurence and Pedersen.
The Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale team did a group shot. Benoît Cosnefroy (7th), Alex Baudin (8th) and Aurélien Paret-Peintre (9th) finished in the same time, 7 seconds behind the winner of the day. Friday will take place the traditional stage between Bessèges and Bessèges, with 5 passes listed in the mountain classification. To be continued on the l’Équipe channel from 2 p.m.
