The GP Marseillaise (139,7km) is the first race of the season for Wanty-Groupe Gobert. With a sixth place Marco Marcato was the best rider of the team today. Simone Antonini reached an honorable 13th place in his first race as a pro for Wanty-Groupe Gobert.

“It was a fast race. We rode up the climbs à bloc," Marcato explains. "On the final climb we faced a strong headwind which meant that everyone stayed together."

Just before the last climb, the breakaway with Frederik Veuchelen was caught.

"It was a fast start today and uphill too. It is the first race of the season so everyone was very nervous. After 20 kilometres we managed to break away. We worked well together but with the strong winds we faced it was tough to stay away."

Sprinter Roy Jans had been dropped from the bunch after 90 kilometres, on a tough 15-kilometre climb. Marcato therefore became plan B. In 2012 the Italian finished second in La Marseillaise. This year he had to settle for sixth.

"The legs felt good in the final but I was a bit too far back. I didn't get the room anymore to make my sprint. But this is okay, step by step," Marcato concludes.

The team (Marcato, Jans, Veuchelen, Bjorn Leukemans, Kévin Van Melsen, Boris Dron, Simone Antonini and Frederik Backaert) will stay in the south of France where the Etoile de Bessèges starts on Wednesday.