Russian Alexandre Botcharov of the Credit Agricole team grabbed the first stage-race victory of his career in the 35th Tour Mediterranean.

Sylvain Chavanel of Cofidis finished in second, and the Frenchman looks to have regained his form after his part in the the Kemmelberg melee in Ghent-Wevelgem last April, which left him with 65 stitches and a triple-fractured wrist.

Chavanel led a quartet of escapees, which also included Mathieu Perget (Caisse d'Epargne), Alianksandr Kuchynski (Liquigas) and Mikhail Ignatiev (Tinkoff), and they had just enough to hold off the fast-charging peloton in the final 117km stage from Sauvian to Gruissan.

Chavanel managed to outwit Ignatiev and the rest of the break to snag his first win of the 2008 season.

"I didn't crack under the pressure of the final kilometer," Chavanel told AFP. "I knew that I was the fastest among my adversaries."

Botcharov, meanwhile, finished safely in the main pack at 35 seconds back to secure his first success since turning pro in 2000, securing the overall victory ahead of David Moncoutie (Cofidis), with Michael Albasini (Liquigas) taking third.

STAGE FOUR

Leonardo Duque edged out Jimmy Casper in a sprint finish in the fourth stage of the Tour Méditerranéen as Alexandre Botcharov remained in yellow.

There were a number of breakaway attempts from cyclists who were not in general classification contention, but they were all chased down along the 152-km trek from Saint Cannat to Marignane.

At the end Columbian Duque, who rides for Cofidis, just denied Casper his second stage win of the Tour, with Yauheni Hutarovich coming in third.

Meanwhile, Crédit Agricole rider Botcharov looks all set to clinch overall victory, he is 45 seconds ahead of David Moncoutié which just one stage remaining.

The race will conclude when the riders make the 117-km journey from Sauvian to Gruissan

STAGE THREE

Russian Alexandre Botcharov won the third stage of the Tour Méditerranéen and with it took the yellow jersey off his Crédit Agricole team-mate Thor Hushovd.

The 100-km journey from Rousset to Mont Faron was the first testing stage of the event so far after the first two stages were dominated by the sprinters.

At first the leading group contained 15 riders, including Hushovd, but then a group of four containing Botcharov, Michael Albasini (Liquigas), Anthony Geslin (Bouygues Telecom), and David Lelay (Brittany-Armor Lux) emerged.

In the tough final five kilometres David Moncoutié of Cofidis joined the mix and he would eventually prove to be the main challenger to Botcharov who peeled off of the front group.

The Russian would eventually win the stage by 13 seconds from Moncoutie with Albasini coming in third over a minute back.

Saturday's fourth stage sees the riders make the 152-km trek from Saint-Cannat to Marignane.

STAGE TWO

Jimmy Casper of Agritubel won a sprint finish to take the second stage of the Tour Méditerranéen as Norway's Thor Hushovd hung onto the yellow jersey.

The 135-km stage from La Londe to La Garde was expected to end in a mass sprint finish, but the trio of Mickaël Buffaz (Cofidis), Mikhail Ignatiev (Tinkoff Credit Systems) and Jussi Veikkanen (Française des Jeux) made an early breakaway.

The Frenchman was a popular winner as he now looks fully fit again after his horror crash while riding for Unibet at Kemmelberg last year.

However, Ignatiev was swallowed up before Buffaz and Veikkanen then saw their brave effort come to an end.

Frenchman Casper then took the sprint ahead of Belarus man Yauheni Hutarovich and Hushovd, who finished third.

The third stage sees the riders make the 100-km journey from Rousset to Mont Faron.

STAGE ONE

Norwegian sprint star Thor Hushovd easily won the opening stage of the Tour Méditerranéen in a mass sprint to claim the race's first yellow leader's jersey.

The Crédit Agricole rider and 2006 Tour de France green jersey beat out Liquigas riders Francesco Chicchi and Alberto Curtolo to take the opening stage win after 120 kilometres of racing from La Crau to Hyères.

Maxime Bouet (Agritubel) and Anthony Roux (Française des Jeux) went off on an early break away building up a lead of more than eight minutes before the two main sprint teams closed the gap.

The French duo were caught just 3.5-km from the finish line setting up the sprint finale.

Thursday's second stage takes the peloton 135-km from La Londe to La Garde.

Eurosport