Frenchman Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) received the opening stage of the Tour de Suisse on Sunday, with a brave assault on rain sodden roads round Lake Lucerne.
The 22 year-old attacked a number one group of 4 excessive of the ultimate climb, some 14km from the end of the 129.4km stage, descending expertly on the sketchiest of roads. Regardless of a coordinated response from the three chasers, he maintained a small result in the road, successful forward of compatriot Kévin Vaquelin (Arkéa-B&B Resorts), with Dutchman Bart Lemmen (Visma-Lease a Bike) in third.
Earlier within the day Grégoire discovered himself a part of an enormous breakaway which fashioned contained in the stage’s first 30km, working brilliantly to distance the peloton. With the principle bunch ending greater than three minutes down, most of the pre-race favourites could mown need to shift their plans to lengthy vary assaults and even stage wins.
These opening kilometres have been fabulously lively and entertaining racing ono what was, at 129.4km, a brief stage aggressive day’s racing. Ending fourth on the day, former world champion Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor) was the a part of the primary assault to stay, inserting himself within the lead group early within the day.
“It’s at all times one thing particular to win on the WorldTour stage, so I’m actually completely satisfied. We have been all on the similar stage with Kévin, Bart and Julian, however I rode the technical half nice, in order that’s actually cool,” Grégoire mentioned on the end.
The younger Frenchman’s success not solely locations him within the total lead, however he’s additionally one of the best younger rider, and leads the factors classification forward of Monday’s second stage, when the peloton will tackle a difficult 177km stage between Aarau and Schwarzsee.
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The opening day of this 12 months’s eight day Tour de Suisse set the tone for a difficult week, the day’s punchy 129.4km route serving up 1,939m of climbing over its 4 categorised climbs. Beginning and ending in Küssnacht, the route adopted precisely the identical course because the girls’s last stage, which occurred earlier within the day.
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Uphill nearly right away, a busy bunch tackled the primary of two ascents of the third class Adligenswilerstrasse, which topped out after solely 6.5km, as they negotiated a loop into the suburbs of Lucerne. A number of assaults right here brought on the bunch to briefly cut up, 20 riders getting a small benefit, although that quickly re-formed.
The flat highway forward of the following climb introduced loads of attacking however nonetheless nothing failed to stay because the race reached the bottom of the day’s fiercest climb, Michaelskreuz, which averages 9% gradient over its 3.9km.
Excessive of this climb Julian Alaphilippe (Tudor) and Felix Engelhardt (Jayco-Alula) bought away, with a fractured peloton chasing behind. Whereas that re-formed, such was the chaotic nature of the race, the bunch cut up once more and a big group set off in pursuit of the leaders.
With 80km to go, most of the day’s beginning riders have been out of competition, sitting three minutes behind a number one peloton of 28, with some groups current in that main group represented by a number of riders.
After the chaotic opening, the race now settled, the main bunch typically working properly as their benefit on the massive peloton behind settled round across the 3:40 mark. Victory for the main bunch was removed from assured, although, falling rain contributing to a crash which cut up the group who rode via the end to deal with the day’s opening loop for a second time, their lead at 3.20, just below 40km from the end.
Whereas the main group crested the penultimate ascent, the Adligenswilerstrasse, their benefit started to drop, regardless of the now soaked roads. Nevertheless, because the leaders started the ultimate climb, the brutal Michaelskreuz, with 19km of the stage remaining, their lead had as soon as once more elevated and was then shut to 3 minutes.
Ben O’Connor (Jayco-Alula) did a lot of the early work on the climb, the main group shedding riders with nearly each one of many Australian climber’s pedal strokes. Nevertheless, a transfer kind Alaphilippe noticed solely 4 males collectively on the high of the climb, with Bart Lemmen (Visma-Lease a Bike), Kévin Vauquelin (Arkea-B&B Resorts) and Romain Grégoire (Groupama-FDJ) becoming a member of the previous world champion on the sodden descent.
There, with 12km to go, Grégoire made his transfer, nearly taking out the TV bike as he did so, and descending like a stone, regardless of the treacherous circumstances. Behind the 22 year-old French climber, Alaphilippe at first compelled to do a lot of the chasing, and whereas Grégoire gave the impression to be inside touching distance, even that was too far.
RESULTS: TOUR DE SUISSE, STAGE 1, KÜSSNACHT > KUSSNACHT
1. Romain Grégoire (Fra) Groupama-FDJ, in 20:50:15
2. Kévin Vaquelin (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Resorts, at 20 sec
3. Bart Lemmen (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike
4. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Tudor, all at similar time
5. Ben O’Connor (Aus) JAyco-Alula, at 1:07
6. Felix Grosschartner (Aut) UAE Staff Emirates
7. Pablo Castrillo (Esp) Movistar
8. Lennard Kämner (Ger) Lidl-Trek
9. Rainer Kepplinger (Aut) Bahrain Victorious, all at similar time
10. Nicola Conci (Ita) XDS Astana, at 1:26
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION AFTER STAGE ONE
1. Romain Grégoire (Fra) Groupama-FDJ, in 20:50:05
2. Kévin Vaquelin (Fra) Arkéa-B&B Resorts, at 24 sec
3. Bart Lemmen (Ned) Visma-Lease a Bike, at 26
4. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Tudor, at similar time
5. Ben O’Connor (Aus) JAyco-Alula, at 1:17
6. Felix Grosschartner (Aut) UAE Staff Emirates
7. Pablo Castrillo (Esp) Movistar
8. Lennard Kämner (Ger) Lidl-Trek
9. Rainer Kepplinger (Aut) Bahrain Victorious, all at similar time
10. Ben Swift (Gbr) INEOS Grenadiers, at 1:32