Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) came out on top on the opening stage of the Renewi Tour, edging out Olav Kooij (Decathlon CMA CGM) in a bunch sprint at the end of a messy and sodden day of racing.
With so few sprint opportunities on offer at the Vuelta a España, the Renewi Tour has attracted a stellar list of sprinters and they were all to the fore on the opening day.
Tim Merlier (Soudal-QuickStep) bagged the final spot on the podium, just ahead of Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin-Premier Tech), but the stage win came down to a nail-biting bike throw between Milan and Kooij.
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Picnic-PostNL’s Pavel Bitter had opened the sprint after a very late catch of the breakaway, with Milan thundering down the middle of the soaked tarmac, while Kooij emerged from the slipstream and set about hauling him back.
Kooij gained and gained and almost snatched it, but, with both riders unsure which way it had gone, a photo finish would soon confirm that Milan had held on.
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