The Route du Sud started today with a 209 km stage from Castres to Mirande. The stage was won by Yannick Martinez (La Pomme Marseille) in an uphill sprint.

Thomas Rostollan (La Pomme Marseille), Romain Hardy (Cofidis) and Emanuele Sella (Androni Giocattoli-Venezuela) formed a front group and stayed ahead for most of the stage; but the peloton controlled the gap and caught them with 30 km to go. Despite a few attacks on hilly last 30 km, the stage came down to a mass sprint.

On the technical final km, going slightly uphill and with a sharp left-hand turn at 200 m to go, Yannick Martinez had the best turn of speed and won convincingly ahead of Anthony Roux (FDJ) and Adrien Petit (Cofidis). This is the Frenchman’s second win of the season; he previously won the final stage of the Quatre Jours de Dunkerque with a daring attack on the final kilometre.

Martinez also takes the race lead and will wear the coral-red leader’s jersey tomorrow, when the race continues with two loops around Villecomtal-sur-Arros. Despite a hill cresting 5 km from the finish, this stage also looks destined for a sprint, although a late attack might succeed on the steep descent to the finish.

Result:

1. Yannick Martinez (La Pomme Marseille) 5:19:44

2. Anthony Roux (FDJ)

3. Adrien Petit (Cofidis)

4. Danilo Napolitano (Accent Jobs-Wanty)

5. Chris Sutton (Sky Procycling)

6. Laurent Pichon (FDJ)

7. Benjamin Giraud (La Pomme Marseille)

8. Steven Tronet (BigMat-Auber 93)

9. Samuel Dumoulin (AG2R La Mondiale)

10. Christophe Laborie (Sojasun).

Martinez obviously leads the general classification.