Francaise des Jeux's Jeremy Roy made the fifth stage of the Paris-Nice his first professional victory here on Thursday. The stage was a 204.0km ride from Annonay to Vallon Pont d'Arc, with a finishing time of 4hr 58min 47sec.
Quick-Step's Sylvain Chavanel of France maintained his six second lead over Rabobank's Juan Manuel Garate in the general classification.
"I really went for it. I gave it my all and it's a fantastic feeling," said Roy to AFP.
He had been out in front of the race for four hours, and was able to catch fellow Frenchman Thomas Voeckler and Germany's Tomy Martin with a perfectly timed attack he held tenuiously to the line. Voeckler seemed to allow Roy's initial gap to grow in hopes of softening Martin's finishing speed by making him chase, but the plan didn't play out the way he'd hoped, ending up with Roy barely squeaked in for a well deserved win.
The 25-year-old Roy turned pro in 2003 and finishing dead last the previous day showed why in cycling it's so important to never give up.
An impressive German Heinrich Haussler led in the peloton two and a half minutes behind today's winner.
Friday's 182.5 km sixth stage will see the race's first summit finish at Lure also known as Mont Ventoux's "Little Sister". With an altitude of around 1600m the 13.8 km climb averages a 6.6 percent gradient. You can look for Astana's Alberto Contador to put in an effort to regain the leaders jersey from Frenchman Sylvain Chavanel.
Results after today's 204km fifth stage of the Paris-Nice between Annonay and Vallon-Pont-d'Arc:
5th stage
1. Jeremy Roy (FRA/FDJ) 4hr 58min 47sec.
2. Thomas Voeckler (FRA/BTL) 0:00.
3. Tony Martin (GER/THR) 0:03.
4. Heinrich Haussler (GER/CTT) 2:33.
5. Murilo Fischer (BRA/LIQ) 2:33.
6. Romain Feillu (FRA/AGR) 2:33.
7. Cyril Lemoine (FRA/SKS) 2:33.
8. Jurgen Roelandts (BEL/SIL) 2:33.
9. Mirco Lorenzetto (ITA/LAM) 2:33.
10. Sebastien Hinault (FRA/A2R) 2:33.
11. Mark Renshaw (AUS/THR) 2:33.
12. Sylvain Chavanel (FRA/QST) 2:33.
13. Samuel Dumoulin (FRA/COF) 2:33.
14. Aliaksandr Kuschynski (BLR/LIQ) 2:33.
15. Karsten Kroon (NED/SAX) 2:33.
16. Mickael Cherel (FRA/FDJ) 2:33.
17. Christian Knees (GER/MRM) 2:33.
18. Theo Eltink (NED/SKS) 2:33.
19. Thomas Rohregger (AUT/MRM) 2:33.
20. Matthew Hayman (AUS/RAB) 2:33.
Overall
1. Sylvain Chavanel (FRA/QST) 18hr 32min 56sec.
2. Juan Manuel Garate (ESP/RAB) at 0:06.
3. Juan Antonio Flecha (ESP/RAB) 0:36.
4. Alberto Contador (ESP/AST) 0:36.
5. Kevin Seeldraeyers (BEL/QST) 0:37.
6. Luis Leon Sanchez (ESP/GCE) 0:45.
7. David Millar (GBR/GRM) 0:50.
8. Antonio Colom (ESP/KAT) 0:55.
9. Vladimir Karpets (RUS/KAT) 0:57.
10. Jens Voigt (GER/SAX) 1:03.
11. Maxime Monfort (BEL/THR) 1:08.
12. Samuel Sanchez (ESP/EUS) 1:09.
13. Rinaldo Nocentini (ITA/A2R) 1:10.
14. Frank Schleck (LUX/SAX) 1:12.
15. Thomas Voeckler (FRA/BTL) 1:15.
16. Rein Taaramae (EST/COF) 1:17.
17. Mirco Lorenzetto (ITA/LAM) 1:20.
18. Jonathan Hivert (FRA/SKS) 1:21.
19. Heinrich Haussler (GER/CTT) 1:23.
20. Yury Trofimov (RUS/BTL) 1:33.