Tom Crabbe (Team Flanders Baloise) wins the first stage of the Etoile de Bessèges, 150.1 km from Bellegarde.

After 40 km of racing, a four-man breakaway, consisting of Vercouillie , Huck , Abersold and Hanninen , took off and built up a maximum lead of 5 minutes.
With 5km to go, Vercouillie and Huck remain in the lead, still more than 30" ahead of the main group pulled by Decathlon.

Vercouillie attacked in the final 500 meters as the road climbed toward the finish line. Team Polti VisitMalta led the pack and managed to complete the chase. Kubis pulled away in the final stages, but Vercouillie's teammate Crabbe took his wheel and won in the sprint. Kubis finished second, while Izquierdo completed the podium.