It was a Frenchman who won the first stage of the Tour of Britain ! This Tuesday, Paul Magnier won in Kelso by beating a group of around fifty riders in a sprint. Supported in the final by luxury team-mates named Remco Evenepoel et Julian Alaphilippethe young runner of the Soudal Quick-Stepstill as impressive in power, did not tremble in the final straight to take the upper hand over the British Ethan Vernon (Israel-Premier Tech), Robert Donaldson (Trinity Racing) et Tom Pidcock (INEOS Grenadiers). The Dutch Casper van Uden (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) completed the top 5. Paul Magnier will wear the general classification leader’s jersey on Wednesday during the 2nd stage.
Video – Magnier the 1st stage, Alaphilippe and Evenepoel team-mates
The summary of the last 40 kilometers
Led by the Soudal Quick-Step of Remco Evenepoel, Julian Alaphilippe et Paul Magnierthe peloton still has to take back 1 minute and 30 seconds from a duo composed of the Dane Julius Johansen (Sabgal / Anicolor) and the British Callum Thornley (Trinity Racing). In a small hill located about 35 kilometers from the finish, we see the first attacks within the peloton, with in particular a Soudal Quick-Step omnipresent.
Inevitably, the gap is rapidly decreasing, Johansen et Thornton having only 40″ of margin left after these various movements. While Julius Johansen distance his runaway companion a few moments later, a big attack of Julian Alaphilippe condemns the Dane, who falls into line 25 kilometers from Kelso. The attack ofAlaphilippe does not allow the Frenchman to make the difference, just like that of his teammate Remco Evenepoel a little later does not allow the Belgian to leave.
Baptiste Veistroffer ignited the chance
No one manages to break away from the peloton in this difficult part of the 1st stage, and as the last 20 kilometers are on a slight downward slope, we are heading straight for a sprint to conclude this opening day. The team INEOS Grenadiers takes things in hand in the finale for his sprinter Ethan Hayterand despite the Frenchman’s fine attempt Baptiste Veistroffer (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Developement Team), it’s a peloton of about fifty riders who are in the final straight. The rest, you know…
Tour of Britain – Stage 1 classification
Tour of Britain – Provisional general classification after the 1st stage
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