At the heart of this large group of riders tackling the last few kilometers, in the wide Australian arteries, two Cofidis riders played the spoilsport. They resisted the attacks and ambitions of their rivals to get to the front of the race. There is Alexis Renard, back to competition after an operation that made him miss the end of last season. It is he who takes the lead in the last turn.

Time for the frontrunners

Behind him is Bryan Coquard, ready to make his move. The Cofidis sprinter did not hesitate and began his effort with less than 300 meters to go. He is the only one to emerge from the peloton, he takes a few meters of advance and keeps it, until the end. Bryan Coquard can savor, take his head in his hands and fall into the arms of his teammates. His intense joy is the height of what he has just achieved: Bryan signs the first UCI World Tour victory of his career.  The stage had been checked off and the plan had been followed to the letter.

The 'Coq' thus offers Cofidis its first victory of the season. It's a welcome success: team manager Cédric Vasseur has long said that it was important to win quickly to get the season off to the best possible start. Last year, it was already Bryan who raised his arms first, during the Étoile de Bessèges. This year, he is doing it again at the other end of the world, to the great pleasure of all the team members.

THEY SAID

Bryan Coquard: "I am very happy because it is my first UCI World Tour victory. This is my 11th season as a professional, I have been lucky enough to win a lot but never in the UCI World Tour. And this counter, we wanted to unlock it with the team this season. It's not a relief because the emotion is the same at the finish, but there's a little extra! Today was a day with a lot of stress because we knew there would be curbs. We had one with about 60 km to go and we were in the first group with Alexis Renard, who took good care of me during the whole stage. We were really focused on the finish and trying to save ourselves to make a good sprint. He caught me at the right time and it worked out well. After that, I didn't hesitate, especially since it's the type of finish I prefer!"

Roberto Damiani, sport director: "We had identified this stage beforehand because we knew it could be suitable for Bryan. With the wind and the curbs, it was a difficult stage and we regret that Victor (Lafay) did not manage to stay in the first group. But what is positive is that Alexis and Bryan kept their composure and held on until the end. This slight false flat at the finish was favourable to his qualities and we can only be proud of his victory. This victory, the first of the season, is good for morale and allows us to start in the best way possible!"