Swift fifth in Criterium International opener

Ben Swift Criterium International stage 1 2009

published 28 March 2009

Britain's Ben Swift (Katusha) came fifth in today's opening stage of the 2009 Criterium International in France.

Swift came in at the same time as stage winner Jimmy Casper (Besson Chaussures) in the bunch finish at the end of 190km of racing. Swift now tops the table for best young rider.

Last year's race was won by German Jens Voigt (Saxo Bank) - his fourth victory in the event.

Criterium International stage one results
1. Jimmy Casper (Fra) Besson Chaussures 190km in 4-42-15

10. Arnold Jeannesson (Fra) Caisse d'Epargne all at same time.

Overall classification after stage one
1. Jimmy Casper (Fra) Besson Chaussures in 4-42-05

2. Arnaud Coyot (Fra) Caisse d'Epargne at 2secs

Peloton on stage one

Bradley Wiggins on stage one

Jimmy Casper wins stage one and takes the race lead

Casper happy in yellow

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Nigel Wynn worked as associate editor on CyclingWeekly.com, he worked almost single-handedly on the Cycling Weekly website in its early days. His passion for cycling, his writing and his creativity, as well as his hard work and dedication, were the original driving force behind the website’s success. Without him, CyclingWeekly.com would certainly not exist on the size and scale that it enjoys today. Nigel sadly passed away, following a brave battle with a cancer-related illness, in 2018. He was a highly valued colleague, and more importantly, an exceptional person to work with - his presence is sorely missed.