Cycling: Tony Gallopin (AG2R La Mondiale) secured stage win and overall victory at the Etoile de Besseges today. The Frenchman won the final time trial, putting himself ahead of all the professionals in front of him.
9 French in the first 9
The Étoile de Bességes was dominated by the French this year. At the end of the race, the French riders occupied the first nine places, with the first Belgian appearing in tenth. The first non-French or non-Belgian professional rider didn't appear until 31st place . Tony Gallopin (AG2R La Mondiale) emerged as the big winner of the "national championships." The 29-year-old won the final 10,74-kilometer time trial in Alès, leaving his compatriots Yoann Paillot (St Michel-Auber 93) and Sylvain Chavanel (Direct Energie) far behind by 20 and 22 seconds, respectively. This victory propelled him into the overall standings, overtaking all the riders ahead of him who had accumulated time bonuses in the preceding days. Christophe Laporte (Cofidis) finished second overall. The previous overall leader Marc Sarreau (Groupama-FDJ) lost 55 seconds today and slipped to ninth place in the overall standings.
The courage après depuis longtemps ⭐️ @tonygallopin remporte pour la première fois l' #EtoiledeBessèges ! 🚴♂️👏 #Alès #cyclisme #lequipeVELO pic.twitter.com/6HXRBoAog4
— Ville d'Alès (@VilledAles) February 4, 2018