Sitting twenty seconds behind race leader Pierre Rolland (Europcar) heading into the concluding time trial, former world under 23 championship bronze medallist Jerome Coppel used his skill against the clock to overcome his deficit. “We could not imagine a better start to the season,” he said to Velonation.com at the end of the Étoile de Bessèges, which he won by a clear margin. “It's very good for confidence and it shows that the winter work has paid off. The next objective will be Paris-Nice.