Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco-Alula) got his season off to a perfect start when he sprinted to victory at the Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana 1969 - Gran Premi València, the first men’s race on the European calendar.
The Dutchman delivered a powerful sprint in Valencia to take the spoils ahead of Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) and Tim Torn Teutenberg (Lidl-Trek), while Davide Cimolai (Movistar) placed fourth.
“It was a bit hectic [in the final], but we made a really good plan. Maybe the final was not the hardest part it was already in the start, but the team did a really good job bringing me back into position and making the peloton," Groenewegen said.
"Then, we caught the breakaway of 16 guys. We also had Felix in the break, so that was good for us. In the final, we did everything well. I was a bit in the bubble, a little bit behind the boys, but actually, that was good, and I could use the slipstream of the other sprinters. In the end, I could finish top. It is nice to pay off the hard work of the team.”
The event was always liable to produce a bunch finish, though there was no shortage of willing attackers on the 200km run from Nucía, with Jasper De Buyst (Lotto Dstny) and Jetse Bol (Burgos-BH) among the dangermen in a 16-strong move that went clear in the opening, hilly phase of the race.
Results
Results powered by FirstCycling
-
'At the half-way point, I was four minutes behind' - Unbound Gravel winner Cameron Jones surpasses Keegan Swenson's record time at The White Rim
New Zealander sets new FKT on 100-mile, rugged Utah route by making up deficit and trimming nearly five minutes from US rider's mark -
'He can attack in the most random places' – Tadej Pogačar ponders potential tactical headache of Remco Evenepoel at Tour of Flanders
Road World Champion says 'you can never let him go in front with a couple of seconds, because it's almost impossible to catch him' -
'I don't consider myself in the big four' – Wout van Aert 'older and wiser' but avoids talking himself up for major Tour of Flanders battle
Belgian says rivals like Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogačar will 'have something more than all the others' on Sunday -
Woes continue for Arnaud De Lie as Lotto Intermarché rider ruled out of Tour of Flanders
Belgian Classics star misses De Ronde with illness with hopes to be fit in time for Paris-Roubaix
