Bouhanni claims first win of 2015 in Circuit Sarthe opener
Breakaway caught in final kilometer
Nacer Bouhanni finally whipped his Cofidis lead-out train into shape and claimed a long-awaited first victory of 2015 in the opening stage of Circuit Cycliste Sarthe in Varades. The Frenchman denied the remaining two early breakaway riders a shot at the first leader's jersey, his train catching them in the final kilometre and delivering their star to the win.
"We didn't know if we'd be able to bridge the gap or not," the Frenchman told Cyclingnews after the race. "So we used Dominique Rollin to chase with three kilometres to go although he was scheduled for leading me out. It's a relief to finally pull up a win."
Carlos Ramirez (Colombia), Romain Lemarchand (Cult Energy) and Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (MTN-Qhubeka) wasted no time establishing the day's breakaway as they rode away from the bunch after five kilometers of racing in the crosswinds, and although two Bretagne-Séché Evironnement riders, Armindo Fonseca and Anthony Delaplace, attempted to chase they never made the junction. The peloton made a huge gamble, giving the trio an 11 minute 30 second advantage at km 60.
Janse Van Rensburg picked up the three mountain sprints along the way, assuring himself a podium visit at the end of the stage, while Lemarchand claimed the three intermediate sprints, the last of which came on the fourth of six 7.2km finishing circuits in Varades, when the gap to the peloton was still over three minutes.
"It was very nice to ride at the front after I got sick at the Settimana Coppi & Bartali," Janse Van Rensburg explained. "I had a week off the bike. It was good for my recovery to be in the breakaway today. I'm feeling good on the bike again. I knew it would be hard to stay away, so I went for the KOM and I'm happy to get the jersey, it's good for the team. But we almost made it to the finish."
As the kilometers ticked down, more teams began to contribute to the chase, with Cofidis trying to set it up for Bouhanni, and Movistar, Roompot, Cannondale-Garmin all putting in a huge last-minute effort to shut down the trio. It nearly looked like they'd left it too late when, at 20km to go, the breakaway still had 2:35.
But with 3km to go, the three had just 25 seconds, and when Ramirez let go of the breakaway their gap quickly fell. With 2km to go it was down to just 8, and Janse Van Rensburg and Lemarchand had lost all chances as the lead-out trains bore down on them.
"It's been a hectic sprint," Europcar's up and coming fast man Thomas Boudat said. "With 600 metres to go, I was well positioned but I got caught by a wave of ten to fifteen riders and I found myself rejected in twentieth place. I became a spectator of the sprint. It's frustrating and I hope to do better tomorrow as I want to sprint against Nacer to know what I'm worth really."
"With 1km to go, I was on tenth position," Bouhanni described. "My teammate Christophe Laporte made a huge effort for me and we took the commands with Geoffrey Soupe with 600 or 700 metres to go. I launched my sprint at 200. Apparently it looked easy but the important is to win, whether it's by five centimetres or two lengths of a bike.
"This is my third win at Circuit de la Sarthe. I like this stage race. The course is lumpy. I've won stage 2 in Angers as a French champion with FDJ (in 2013) so I know what the finish of tomorrow's half stage is like. It'll be important to follow my teammates like today. I'm only targeting the sprints here. The time trial is not my specialty and during stage 4, which is hard, I'll preserve myself for stage 5."
Alex Dowsett and Adriano Malori (Movistar) lead the predictions for Wednesday's time trial in Angers with defending champion Ramunas Navardauskas (Cannondale-Garmin), Stephen Cummings (MTN-Qhubeka), Manuele Boaro (Tinkoff-Saxo) and Tiago Machado (Katusha) also in contention for a great result against the clock.
Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | 4:32:27 |
2 | Nathan Haas (Aus) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | |
3 | Raymond Kreder (Ned) Team Roompot | |
4 | Aleksei Tsatevich (Rus) Team Katusha | |
5 | Tony Hurel (Fra) Team Europcar | |
6 | Thomas Boudat (Fra) Team Europcar | |
7 | Armindo Fonseca (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement | |
8 | Carlos Mario Ramirez (Col) Colombia | |
9 | Enrique Sanz (Spa) Movistar Team | |
10 | Russell Downing (GBr) Cult Energy Pro Cycling | |
11 | Quentin Jauregui (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
12 | Marco Benfatto (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
13 | Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) Team Katusha | |
14 | Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | |
15 | Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
16 | Michal Kolár (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
17 | Maurits Lammertink (Ned) Team Roompot | |
18 | Alberto Bettiol (Ita) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | |
19 | Pieter Jacobs (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
20 | Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ.fr | |
21 | Jay McCarthy (Aus) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
22 | Tim De Troyer (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
23 | Lorenzo Manzin (Fra) FDJ.fr | |
24 | Patrick Gretsch (Ger) AG2R La Mondiale | |
25 | Jan Bakelants (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale | |
26 | Tiago Machado (Por) Team Katusha | |
27 | Alex Dowsett (GBr) Movistar Team | |
28 | Michel Kreder (Ned) Team Roompot | |
29 | Natnael Berhane (Eri) MTN - Qhubeka | |
30 | Michael Valgren Andersen (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
31 | Marinus Cornelis Minnaard (Ned) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
32 | Laurent Pichon (Fra) FDJ.fr | |
33 | Manuele Boaro (Ita) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
34 | Arthur Van Overberghe (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
35 | Benjamin King (USA) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | |
36 | Stephen Cummings (GBr) MTN - Qhubeka | |
37 | Leonardo Duque (Col) Colombia | |
38 | Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
39 | Sébastien Turgot (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
40 | Arthur Vichot (Fra) FDJ.fr | |
41 | John Gadret (Fra) Movistar Team | |
42 | Rasmus Guldhammer (Den) Cult Energy Pro Cycling | |
43 | Serghei Tvetcov (Rom) Androni Giocattoli | |
44 | Merhawi Kudus Ghebremedhin (Eri) MTN - Qhubeka | |
45 | Jesus Herrada (Spa) Movistar Team | |
46 | Anthony Delaplace (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement | |
47 | Anthony Geslin (Fra) FDJ.fr | |
48 | Arnaud Gerard (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement | |
49 | Gustav Larsson (Swe) Cult Energy Pro Cycling | |
50 | Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement | |
51 | Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement | |
52 | Christian Mager (Ger) Cult Energy Pro Cycling | |
53 | Juraj Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
54 | Dmitrii Kozonchuk (Rus) Team Katusha | |
55 | Francis De Greef (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
56 | Adriano Malori (Ita) Movistar Team | |
57 | Juan Pablo Valencia (Col) Colombia | |
58 | Benoit Jarrier (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement | |
59 | Romain Lemarchand (Fra) Cult Energy Pro Cycling | |
60 | Kevin Van Melsen (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
61 | Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
62 | Cayetano Sarmiento (Col) Colombia | |
63 | Alessio Taliani (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
64 | Troels Ronning Vinther (Den) Cult Energy Pro Cycling | |
65 | Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) FDJ.fr | |
66 | Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka | |
67 | Vladimir Isaychev (Rus) Team Katusha | |
68 | Johann Van Zyl (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka | |
69 | Simone Stortoni (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
70 | Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
71 | Jan Ghyselinck (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
72 | Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
73 | Mike Terpstra (Ned) Team Roompot | |
74 | Louis Meintjes (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka | |
75 | Sander Helven (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
76 | Carlos Galviz (Ven) Androni Giocattoli | |
77 | Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar | |
78 | Floris De Tier (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
79 | Jesper Hansen (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
80 | Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Team Europcar | |
81 | Etienne Van Empel (Ned) Team Roompot | |
82 | Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar | |
83 | Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Team Europcar | |
84 | Edwin Avila (Col) Colombia | 0:00:14 |
85 | Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | 0:00:25 |
86 | Sebastián Molano (Col) Colombia | 0:01:11 |
87 | Luis Angel Mate (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | 0:02:19 |
88 | Dominique Rollin (Can) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
89 | Rory Sutherland (Aus) Movistar Team | |
90 | Moreno Moser (Ita) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | 0:04:33 |
91 | Reinier Honig (Ned) Team Roompot | |
92 | Alex Howes (USA) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | |
93 | Loïc Chetout (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | 0:08:02 |
94 | John Kronborg Ebsen (Den) Androni Giocattoli |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | 4:32:17 |
2 | Romain Lemarchand (Fra) Cult Energy Pro Cycling | 0:00:01 |
3 | Nathan Haas (Aus) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | 0:00:04 |
4 | Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka | |
5 | Raymond Kreder (Ned) Team Roompot | 0:00:06 |
6 | Carlos Mario Ramirez (Col) Colombia | 0:00:07 |
7 | Aleksei Tsatevich (Rus) Team Katusha | 0:00:10 |
8 | Tony Hurel (Fra) Team Europcar | |
9 | Thomas Boudat (Fra) Team Europcar | |
10 | Armindo Fonseca (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement | |
11 | Enrique Sanz (Spa) Movistar Team | |
12 | Russell Downing (GBr) Cult Energy Pro Cycling | |
13 | Quentin Jauregui (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
14 | Marco Benfatto (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
15 | Sven Erik Bystrøm (Nor) Team Katusha | |
16 | Ramunas Navardauskas (Ltu) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | |
17 | Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
18 | Michal Kolár (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
19 | Maurits Lammertink (Ned) Team Roompot | |
20 | Alberto Bettiol (Ita) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | |
21 | Pieter Jacobs (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
22 | Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ.fr | |
23 | Jay McCarthy (Aus) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
24 | Tim De Troyer (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
25 | Lorenzo Manzin (Fra) FDJ.fr | |
26 | Patrick Gretsch (Ger) AG2R La Mondiale | |
27 | Jan Bakelants (Bel) AG2R La Mondiale | |
28 | Tiago Machado (Por) Team Katusha | |
29 | Alex Dowsett (GBr) Movistar Team | |
30 | Michel Kreder (Ned) Team Roompot | |
31 | Natnael Berhane (Eri) MTN - Qhubeka | |
32 | Michael Valgren Andersen (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
33 | Marinus Cornelis Minnaard (Ned) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
34 | Laurent Pichon (Fra) FDJ.fr | |
35 | Manuele Boaro (Ita) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
36 | Arthur Van Overberghe (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
37 | Benjamin King (USA) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | |
38 | Stephen Cummings (GBr) MTN - Qhubeka | |
39 | Leonardo Duque (Col) Colombia | |
40 | Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
41 | Sébastien Turgot (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale | |
42 | Arthur Vichot (Fra) FDJ.fr | |
43 | John Gadret (Fra) Movistar Team | |
44 | Rasmus Guldhammer (Den) Cult Energy Pro Cycling | |
45 | Serghei Tvetcov (Rom) Androni Giocattoli | |
46 | Merhawi Kudus Ghebremedhin (Eri) MTN - Qhubeka | |
47 | Jesus Herrada (Spa) Movistar Team | |
48 | Anthony Delaplace (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement | |
49 | Anthony Geslin (Fra) FDJ.fr | |
50 | Arnaud Gerard (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement | |
51 | Gustav Larsson (Swe) Cult Energy Pro Cycling | |
52 | Pierrick Fedrigo (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement | |
53 | Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement | |
54 | Christian Mager (Ger) Cult Energy Pro Cycling | |
55 | Juraj Sagan (Svk) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
56 | Dmitrii Kozonchuk (Rus) Team Katusha | |
57 | Francis De Greef (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
58 | Adriano Malori (Ita) Movistar Team | |
59 | Juan Pablo Valencia (Col) Colombia | |
60 | Benoit Jarrier (Fra) Bretagne-Séché Environnement | |
61 | Kevin Van Melsen (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
62 | Christophe Laporte (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
63 | Cayetano Sarmiento (Col) Colombia | |
64 | Alessio Taliani (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
65 | Troels Ronning Vinther (Den) Cult Energy Pro Cycling | |
66 | Benoît Vaugrenard (Fra) FDJ.fr | |
67 | Vladimir Isaychev (Rus) Team Katusha | |
68 | Johann Van Zyl (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka | |
69 | Simone Stortoni (Ita) Androni Giocattoli | |
70 | Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
71 | Jan Ghyselinck (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert | |
72 | Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
73 | Mike Terpstra (Ned) Team Roompot | |
74 | Louis Meintjes (RSA) MTN - Qhubeka | |
75 | Sander Helven (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
76 | Carlos Galviz (Ven) Androni Giocattoli | |
77 | Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar | |
78 | Floris De Tier (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | |
79 | Jesper Hansen (Den) Tinkoff-Saxo | |
80 | Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Team Europcar | |
81 | Etienne Van Empel (Ned) Team Roompot | |
82 | Thomas Voeckler (Fra) Team Europcar | |
83 | Yukiya Arashiro (Jpn) Team Europcar | |
84 | Edwin Avila (Col) Colombia | 0:00:24 |
85 | Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Baloise | 0:00:35 |
86 | Sebastián Molano (Col) Colombia | 0:01:21 |
87 | Luis Angel Mate (Spa) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | 0:02:29 |
88 | Dominique Rollin (Can) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | |
89 | Rory Sutherland (Aus) Movistar Team | |
90 | Moreno Moser (Ita) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | 0:04:43 |
91 | Reinier Honig (Ned) Team Roompot | |
92 | Alex Howes (USA) Cannondale-Garmin Pro Cycling Team | |
93 | Loïc Chetout (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits | 0:08:12 |
94 | John Kronborg Ebsen (Den) Androni Giocattoli |
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