During the last few season, 27-year-old Stephane Rossetto (BigMat) has often done a lot to recommend himself for a spot in the WorldTour by taking excellent result in some of the hardest French races. Yesterday he took the biggest win yet when he won the Boucles de la Mayenne overall and now hopes to continue to shine in the Route du Sud and the French championships.

Stephane Rossetto may not be a household name at the very top level of the cycling world but for those with a close eye on the French calendar, the Frenchman is certainly a well-known figure. Being a strong climber, he has often mixed it up with the WorldTour teams in the fast French races and has taken a lot of great results over the last few years.

Last year he won a hard stage in the Tour du Limousin and yesterday he topped that performance when he won the Boucles de la Mayenne overall. Having performed well in the prologue, he laid the foundations for his win in the queen stage where he made the key selection and finished third on the Cote de Montaigu in the end.

Yesterday it was all about defending the lead and despite being part of one of the smallest teams, Rossetto never came under pressure in the stage that was ultimately decided in a bunch sprint. Hence, he could celebrate the biggest win of his career but he had already set his sights on his upcoming races.

"The entire race was fast,” he told Directvelo. “It's been four days without any time to rest. It is rare to find such an intensity in a class 1 race. There was great weather, a beautiful course and a good public. It was a success. 

“Today I did not have fear. My team was very strong, it did well. I was calm throughout the race. I was not under pressure. Now I hope to continue like this and do a good Route du Sud and then a good road race at the French championships.”