May 23/15 13:34 pm - World Ports Classic: Stage 1

Posted by Editoress on 05/23/15
 

On part of the route that the peloton will take in the Tour de France in July this year, it was not a case of hanging around across the dykes of Zeeland between Rotterdam and Antwerp. Over a stage run at an average speed of 48.112 km/h, Andrea Guardini (Astana) finished first on the first day of the World Ports Classic 2015. The Italian sprinter – who won a stage of the Tour de Picardie last week – is clearly in his best form in May. After getting rid of Bouhanni, victim of a bordure (peloton blocking), and Kittel, who was never really up for the final sprint, the Italian sprinter crossed the line ahead of Hutarovitch and Boeckmans in the port of Antwerp. Tomorrow he will have to defend his leader's blue jersey on the road back to Rotterdam.

5 riders in the wind
A threatening sky and a fine drizzle welcomed the peloton to Rotterdam at the start of the fourth edition of the World Ports Classic. At 11:40 am, 134 riders set off for Antwerp in Belgium with the programme for the day, the dykes of Zeeland and roads that suit the top cyclists. After several unsuccessful attempts at a breakaway, four riders finally managed to create a gap between themselves and the peloton: Van Zandbeek (Cyclingteam Join's - De Rijke), Stauff (MTN-Qhubeka), Kreder (Roompot Oranje Peloton) and Wallays (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise). The peloton put up some resistance at the beginning, but after Planckaert (Roubaix Lille Metropole) managed to join the group, the 5 riders moved even further ahead. On reaching Ouddorp, the peloton was 3:50 in front at kilometre 41.

The sprinter teams launch the pursuit
The first bonus sprint (km 74.5), in Zeeland on the finishing line of the 2nd stage of the Tour de France 2015, was won by Stauff ahead of Van Zandbeek and Kreder, while the gap to the five runaways started to narrow. After 2 hours' racing at around 48 km/h, Cofidis and Lotto-Soudal started to make inroads along the North Sea coast. The breakaway's advantage started to narrow and it was only 45'' at Goes (km 121), the place chosen by the most ambitious sprinters to launch their team against the wind.

Bouhanni caught
At km 132, the fast pace of the Lotto-Soudal team meant they were on the heels of the day's breakaway, who had to throw in the towel 63 kilometres from the finish line. Thanks to the wind in Zeeland and the strong pace of the Belgian team, the first splits occurred and the peloton spread out. Nacer Bouhanni was the first to pay the price. After being trapped in a "bordure", he found himself in a group out of touch with the leaders,1:50 from the peloton at km 155. He was not able to get back up and finally finished 8:10 behind the winner.

Giant-Alpecin headed the peloton in the finish sprint - Guardini wins the day

30 kilometres from the finish line, Tleubayev (Astana) and Mol Cyclingteam Join's - De Rijke decided to go on the offensive. Thirty-five seconds ahead with 10 kilometres to go, they could not fend off a peloton on a roll that was looking for a bunch sprint in Antwerp. The Giant-Alpecin team took up their position well and caught the front two just 3 kilometres from the finish. In the port of Antwerp, the final sprint took place but Marcel Kittel was not strong enough to compete with the best sprinters in the final straight. Andrea Guardini (Astana) crossed the line first, in front of Yauheni Hutarovich (Bretagne - Seche Environnement) and Kris Boeckmans (Lotto-Soudal). Guardini, who is 4 seconds ahead of Hutarovitch and 6 of Boeckmans and Wallays, will defend his leader's blue jersey for the overall ranking tomorrow in the second stage of the World Ports Classic, which will take the peloton back to Rotterdam in a 164-kilometre stage.
Courtesy ASO

Antoine Duchesne (Team Europcar) finished 36th in the same time as the winner

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