The Portuguese Rui Costa beat the Italian Andrea Bagioli in the sprint to take second place, while David Gaudu finished fourth, in Étoile-sur-Rhône, after 191.5 km of racing.

Perez, a 31-year-old puncher, took advantage of the excess of his team (Cofidis) in the leading group 50 kilometers from the finish to go out alone in the lead, in the Col de la Grande Limite.

He then produced a fine effort to win the second race of his career, a year after his success in the Classic Loire-Atlantique.

Prior to those two titles, Perez had picked up four stage wins in secondary rounds.

After Perez's attack, a group of pursuers including Alaphilippe and Andrea Bagioli, Gaudu, Bardet and Guillaume Martin stagnated, no doubt tired of having fought for more than 150 kilometers against the wind.

From the first kilometres, several curbs made a first selection among the contenders for victory, immediately dismissing the Australian Jai Hindley and the Colombian Sergio Higuita.

The race was even dangerous at times, when gusts of wind swept the road until several runners fell into the sidewalk.

Winner the day before of the Ardèche Classic, which makes up, with the race of the day, the Boucles Drôme-Ardèche, Julian Alaphilippe this time rode for his teammate Andrea Bagioli.

The Italian, winner of the race in 2021, tried his luck several times, attacking on the Roberts coast, dropping all the riders in the chasing group except Gaudu.

The two cyclists were then caught after a major effort by American Quinn Simmons.

Then this duo tried their luck again in the wall of Allex, the last hill of the course, in vain.

It was finally the experienced Rui Costa (36), who took second place.

© 2023 AFP