The crosswinds were present in the opening stage of the Etoile de Bessèges (2.1, 2-6/02) this Wednesday around Bellegarde. A twenty rider group took advantage of the strong winds and managed to escape from the peloton with 70 kilometer to go. These men stayed ahead until the finish on the Côte de la Tour (0,6km at 6,4%) and it was Mads Pedersen who crossed the line first. Belgian rider Green Thijssen finished in the first chasing group and his compatriot Aimé De Gendt and German rider Georg Zimmermann crashed, luckily without harm.