Giro della Toscana: Cummings wins opening stage

Steve Cummings (Dimension Data) won the opening stage of the 2017 Giro della Toscana, escaping the peloton alongside Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida), Egan Bernal (Androni-Sidermec), and Frederik Backaert (Wanty-Groupe Gobert) in the final 25 kilometres before winning the four-up sprint.

Bernal crossed the line second, having followed Cummings down the left-hand side of the finishing straight, while Backaert took third place with Nibali on his wheel on the right-hand side.

Nibali's teammate Sonny Colbrelli led home the peloton for fifth place half a minute later.

For Cummings, there was vindication, perhaps, for turning down one of Great Britain's two time trial places at the recent World Championships in order to focus on the autumn racing in Italy. The Giro della Toscana, something of a home race for Cummings given he has lived in the Tuscany region for nearly a decade, offered two days of racing, though it was thought he might have to wait until the second day and its summit finish to try for a victory.

The opening stage in Pontedera - based on three laps of a 54km circuit and three laps of a 7.7km finishing circuit - was undulating but predicted to culminate in a bunch sprint, with Dimension Data bringing Mark Cavendish and Ryan Gibbons. 

An early breakaway duly formed, featuring Roy Goldstein (Israel Cycling Academy), Josu Zabala (Caja Rural), Maximilian Kuen (Tirol Cycling Team) and Michele Scartezzini (Sangemini-MG. Kvis), and they opened up a lead of 2:30 at the half-way point, though it would never increase thereafter. 

Goldstein was the first to be dropped, followed by Scartezzini, though a three-man counter attack from Fausto Masnada (Androni-Sidemec), Ilia Koshevoy (Wilier-Selle Italia) and Iuri Filosi (Nippo-Vini Fantini) meant there were five out front with just under 50km to go. 

They were caught shortly before the start of the finishing laps, and Backaert wasted no time in attacking, with Cummings, Nibali and Bernal responding swiftly. They took 20 seconds onto the finishing laps and while the peloton split into two behind, they increased that to 43 seconds by the next crossing of the finish line. 

UAE Team Emirates and Gazprom-Rusvelo were prominent in the chase, but they failed to eat into the gap as the quartet took the bell. With around half a minute going into the final few kilometres, they had to keep working together all the way to the finishing straight, whereupon Cummings delivered the telling kick. 

The race continues and concludes on Wednesday with a more hilly 165km stage that features a double ascent to Volterra in the finale. 

Full Results

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#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Stephen Cummings (GBr) Dimension Data4:21:39
2Egan Bernal (Col) Androni GiocattoliRow 1 - Cell 2
3Frederik Backaert (Bel) Wanty - Groupe GobertRow 2 - Cell 2
4Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-MeridaRow 3 - Cell 2
5Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain-Merida0:00:12
6Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Wanty - Groupe GobertRow 5 - Cell 2
7Marko Kump (Slo) UAE Team EmiratesRow 6 - Cell 2
8Armindo Fonseca (Fra) Team Fortuneo - OscaroRow 7 - Cell 2
9Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Androni GiocattoliRow 8 - Cell 2
10Marco Canola (Ita) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 9 - Cell 2
11Eduard Prades (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGARow 10 - Cell 2
12Matteo Busato (Ita) Wilier TriestinaRow 11 - Cell 2
13Lorenzo Rota (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 12 - Cell 2
14Maxime Bouet (Fra) Team Fortuneo - OscaroRow 13 - Cell 2
15Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Gazprom – RusveloRow 14 - Cell 2
16Grega Bole (Slo) Bahrain-MeridaRow 15 - Cell 2
17Sebastian Schönberger (Aut) Tirol Cycling TeamRow 16 - Cell 2
18Simone Velasco (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 17 - Cell 2
19Marco Minnaard (Ned) Wanty - Groupe GobertRow 18 - Cell 2
20Nicola Gaffurini (Ita) Sangemini - Mg. K VisRow 19 - Cell 2
21Fabien Doubey (Fra) Wanty - Groupe GobertRow 20 - Cell 2
22Jonathan Lastra (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGARow 21 - Cell 2
23Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Bahrain-MeridaRow 22 - Cell 2
24Anthony Delaplace (Fra) Team Fortuneo - OscaroRow 23 - Cell 2
25Guillaume Martin (Fra) Wanty - Groupe GobertRow 24 - Cell 2
26Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Bahrain-MeridaRow 25 - Cell 2
27Sergey Firsanov (Rus) Gazprom – RusveloRow 26 - Cell 2
28Ildar Arslanov (Rus) Gazprom – RusveloRow 27 - Cell 2
29Daniel Turek (Cze) Israel Cycling AcademyRow 28 - Cell 2
30Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 29 - Cell 2
31Brice Feillu (Fra) Team Fortuneo - OscaroRow 30 - Cell 2
32Kristijan Durasek (Cro) UAE Team EmiratesRow 31 - Cell 2
33Fausto Masnada (Ita) Androni GiocattoliRow 32 - Cell 2
34Federico Canuti (Ita) D'Amico UtensilnordRow 33 - Cell 2
35Rodolfo Torres (Col) Androni GiocattoliRow 34 - Cell 2
36Florian Vachon (Fra) Team Fortuneo - OscaroRow 35 - Cell 2
37Antonio Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-MeridaRow 36 - Cell 2
38Ivan Santaromita (Ita) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 37 - Cell 2
39Ettore Carlini (Ita) D'Amico UtensilnordRow 38 - Cell 2
40Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Team Fortuneo - OscaroRow 39 - Cell 2
41Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Androni GiocattoliRow 40 - Cell 2
42Pavel Brutt (Rus) Gazprom – RusveloRow 41 - Cell 2
43Nicolas Sessler (Bra) Israel Cycling Academy0:00:21
44Aleksandr Riabushenko (Blr) UAE Team EmiratesRow 43 - Cell 2
45Christopher Butler (USA) Caja Rural-Seguros RGARow 44 - Cell 2
46Ivan Ramiro Sosa (Col) Androni GiocattoliRow 45 - Cell 2
47Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Dimension DataRow 46 - Cell 2
48Umberto Orsini (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 47 - Cell 2
49Andrea Garosio (Ita) Bahrain-MeridaRow 48 - Cell 2
50Andrea Vendrame (Ita) Androni GiocattoliRow 49 - Cell 2
51Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Bahrain-MeridaRow 50 - Cell 2
52Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert0:00:27
53Simone Antonini (Ita) Wanty - Groupe GobertRow 52 - Cell 2
54Patrick Gamper (Aut) Tirol Cycling Team0:03:00
55Edoardo Zardini (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 54 - Cell 2
56Guy Sagiv (Isr) Israel Cycling AcademyRow 55 - Cell 2
57Pier Paolo De Negri (Ita) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 56 - Cell 2
58Damiano Cunego (Ita) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 57 - Cell 2
59Darwin Atapuma (Col) UAE Team EmiratesRow 58 - Cell 2
60Federico Zurlo (Ita) UAE Team EmiratesRow 59 - Cell 2
61José Manuel Díaz (Spa) Israel Cycling AcademyRow 60 - Cell 2
62Simone Bernardini (Ita) Sangemini - Mg. K VisRow 61 - Cell 2
63Cristian Rodriguez (Spa) Wilier TriestinaRow 62 - Cell 2
64Michele Gazzara (Ita) Sangemini - Mg. K VisRow 63 - Cell 2
65Paolo Totò (Ita) Sangemini - Mg. K VisRow 64 - Cell 2
66Yonder Godoy (Ven) Wilier TriestinaRow 65 - Cell 2
67Maximilian Kuen (Aut) Tirol Cycling TeamRow 66 - Cell 2
68Luis Lemus (Mex) Israel Cycling AcademyRow 67 - Cell 2
69Arnaud Gerard (Fra) Team Fortuneo - OscaroRow 68 - Cell 2
70Dan Craven (Nam) Israel Cycling AcademyRow 69 - Cell 2
71Daniel Martinez (Col) Wilier TriestinaRow 70 - Cell 2
72Matteo Bono (Ita) UAE Team EmiratesRow 71 - Cell 2
73Oscar Pelegri Ferrandis (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGARow 72 - Cell 2
74Fabricio Ferrari (Uru) Caja Rural-Seguros RGARow 73 - Cell 2
75Dylan Page (Swi) Caja Rural-Seguros RGARow 74 - Cell 2
76Filippo Fortin (Ita) Tirol Cycling TeamRow 75 - Cell 2
77Alessandro Tonelli (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 76 - Cell 2
78Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Wanty - Groupe GobertRow 77 - Cell 2
79Matthias Krizek (Aut) Tirol Cycling TeamRow 78 - Cell 2
80Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Dimension DataRow 79 - Cell 2
81Ryan Gibbons (RSA) Dimension DataRow 80 - Cell 2
82Simone Sterbini (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 81 - Cell 2
83Sergey Lagutin (Rus) Gazprom – RusveloRow 82 - Cell 2
84Simone Andreetta (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 83 - Cell 2
85Ivan Rovny (Rus) Gazprom – RusveloRow 84 - Cell 2
86Marco Frapporti (Ita) Androni GiocattoliRow 85 - Cell 2
87Filippo Ganna (Ita) UAE Team Emirates0:03:15
88Niccolo' Salvietti (Ita) Sangemini - Mg. K Vis0:06:40
89Markus Wildauer (Aut) Tirol Cycling TeamRow 88 - Cell 2
90Louis Meintjes (RSA) UAE Team EmiratesRow 89 - Cell 2
91Johann Van Zyl (RSA) Dimension DataRow 90 - Cell 2
92Eugert Zhupa (Alb) Wilier TriestinaRow 91 - Cell 2
93Jaco Venter (RSA) Dimension DataRow 92 - Cell 2
94Hideto Nakane (Jpn) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 93 - Cell 2
95Giacomo Berlato (Ita) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 94 - Cell 2
96Enrico Salvador (Ita) Tirol Cycling TeamRow 95 - Cell 2
97Francesco Manuel Bongiorno (Ita) Sangemini - Mg. K VisRow 96 - Cell 2
98Jakub Mareczko (Ita) Wilier TriestinaRow 97 - Cell 2
99Ilia Koshevoy (Blr) Wilier TriestinaRow 98 - Cell 2
100Danilo Celano (Ita) Caja Rural-Seguros RGARow 99 - Cell 2
101Guy Niv (Isr) Israel Cycling AcademyRow 100 - Cell 2
102Iuri Filosi (Ita) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 101 - Cell 2
103Marino Kobayashi (Jpn) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 102 - Cell 2
104Mark Cavendish (GBr) Dimension DataRow 103 - Cell 2
105Josu Zabala (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGARow 104 - Cell 2
106Igor Anton (Spa) Dimension DataRow 105 - Cell 2
107Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Wilier TriestinaRow 106 - Cell 2
108Igor Boev (Rus) Gazprom – RusveloRow 107 - Cell 2
109Andrei Solomennikov (Rus) Gazprom – RusveloRow 108 - Cell 2
110Angelo Raffaele (Ita) D'Amico Utensilnord0:10:54
111Angelo Vitiello (Ita) D'Amico Utensilnord0:11:50
DNFRoy Goldstein (Isr) Israel Cycling AcademyRow 111 - Cell 2
DNFPietro Di Genova (Ita) D'Amico UtensilnordRow 112 - Cell 2
DNFMarcello Merlino (Ita) D'Amico UtensilnordRow 113 - Cell 2
DNFFrancesco Petrini (Ita) D'Amico UtensilnordRow 114 - Cell 2
DNFMichele Scartezzini (Ita) Sangemini - Mg. K VisRow 115 - Cell 2
DNSNicolas Samparisi (Ita) D'Amico UtensilnordRow 116 - Cell 2
Swipe to scroll horizontally
General classification after stage 1
#Rider Name (Country) TeamResult
1Stephen Cummings (GBr) Dimension Data4:21:39
2Egan Bernal (Col) Androni GiocattoliRow 1 - Cell 2
3Frederik Backaert (Bel) Wanty - Groupe GobertRow 2 - Cell 2
4Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-MeridaRow 3 - Cell 2
5Sonny Colbrelli (Ita) Bahrain-Merida0:00:12
6Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Wanty - Groupe GobertRow 5 - Cell 2
7Marko Kump (Slo) UAE Team EmiratesRow 6 - Cell 2
8Armindo Fonseca (Fra) Team Fortuneo - OscaroRow 7 - Cell 2
9Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Androni GiocattoliRow 8 - Cell 2
10Marco Canola (Ita) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 9 - Cell 2
11Eduard Prades (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGARow 10 - Cell 2
12Matteo Busato (Ita) Wilier TriestinaRow 11 - Cell 2
13Lorenzo Rota (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 12 - Cell 2
14Maxime Bouet (Fra) Team Fortuneo - OscaroRow 13 - Cell 2
15Nikolay Trusov (Rus) Gazprom – RusveloRow 14 - Cell 2
16Grega Bole (Slo) Bahrain-MeridaRow 15 - Cell 2
17Sebastian Schönberger (Aut) Tirol Cycling TeamRow 16 - Cell 2
18Simone Velasco (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 17 - Cell 2
19Marco Minnaard (Ned) Wanty - Groupe GobertRow 18 - Cell 2
20Nicola Gaffurini (Ita) Sangemini - Mg. K VisRow 19 - Cell 2
21Fabien Doubey (Fra) Wanty - Groupe GobertRow 20 - Cell 2
22Jonathan Lastra (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGARow 21 - Cell 2
23Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Bahrain-MeridaRow 22 - Cell 2
24Anthony Delaplace (Fra) Team Fortuneo - OscaroRow 23 - Cell 2
25Guillaume Martin (Fra) Wanty - Groupe GobertRow 24 - Cell 2
26Giovanni Visconti (Ita) Bahrain-MeridaRow 25 - Cell 2
27Sergey Firsanov (Rus) Gazprom – RusveloRow 26 - Cell 2
28Ildar Arslanov (Rus) Gazprom – RusveloRow 27 - Cell 2
29Daniel Turek (Cze) Israel Cycling AcademyRow 28 - Cell 2
30Giulio Ciccone (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 29 - Cell 2
31Brice Feillu (Fra) Team Fortuneo - OscaroRow 30 - Cell 2
32Kristijan Durasek (Cro) UAE Team EmiratesRow 31 - Cell 2
33Fausto Masnada (Ita) Androni GiocattoliRow 32 - Cell 2
34Federico Canuti (Ita) D'Amico UtensilnordRow 33 - Cell 2
35Rodolfo Torres (Col) Androni GiocattoliRow 34 - Cell 2
36Florian Vachon (Fra) Team Fortuneo - OscaroRow 35 - Cell 2
37Antonio Nibali (Ita) Bahrain-MeridaRow 36 - Cell 2
38Ivan Santaromita (Ita) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 37 - Cell 2
39Ettore Carlini (Ita) D'Amico UtensilnordRow 38 - Cell 2
40Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Team Fortuneo - OscaroRow 39 - Cell 2
41Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Androni GiocattoliRow 40 - Cell 2
42Pavel Brutt (Rus) Gazprom – RusveloRow 41 - Cell 2
43Nicolas Sessler (Bra) Israel Cycling Academy0:00:21
44Aleksandr Riabushenko (Blr) UAE Team EmiratesRow 43 - Cell 2
45Christopher Butler (USA) Caja Rural-Seguros RGARow 44 - Cell 2
46Ivan Ramiro Sosa (Col) Androni GiocattoliRow 45 - Cell 2
47Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (RSA) Dimension DataRow 46 - Cell 2
48Umberto Orsini (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 47 - Cell 2
49Andrea Garosio (Ita) Bahrain-MeridaRow 48 - Cell 2
50Andrea Vendrame (Ita) Androni GiocattoliRow 49 - Cell 2
51Franco Pellizotti (Ita) Bahrain-MeridaRow 50 - Cell 2
52Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Wanty - Groupe Gobert0:00:27
53Simone Antonini (Ita) Wanty - Groupe GobertRow 52 - Cell 2
54Patrick Gamper (Aut) Tirol Cycling Team0:03:00
55Edoardo Zardini (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 54 - Cell 2
56Guy Sagiv (Isr) Israel Cycling AcademyRow 55 - Cell 2
57Pier Paolo De Negri (Ita) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 56 - Cell 2
58Damiano Cunego (Ita) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 57 - Cell 2
59Darwin Atapuma (Col) UAE Team EmiratesRow 58 - Cell 2
60Federico Zurlo (Ita) UAE Team EmiratesRow 59 - Cell 2
61José Manuel Díaz (Spa) Israel Cycling AcademyRow 60 - Cell 2
62Simone Bernardini (Ita) Sangemini - Mg. K VisRow 61 - Cell 2
63Cristian Rodriguez (Spa) Wilier TriestinaRow 62 - Cell 2
64Michele Gazzara (Ita) Sangemini - Mg. K VisRow 63 - Cell 2
65Paolo Totò (Ita) Sangemini - Mg. K VisRow 64 - Cell 2
66Yonder Godoy (Ven) Wilier TriestinaRow 65 - Cell 2
67Maximilian Kuen (Aut) Tirol Cycling TeamRow 66 - Cell 2
68Luis Lemus (Mex) Israel Cycling AcademyRow 67 - Cell 2
69Arnaud Gerard (Fra) Team Fortuneo - OscaroRow 68 - Cell 2
70Dan Craven (Nam) Israel Cycling AcademyRow 69 - Cell 2
71Daniel Martinez (Col) Wilier TriestinaRow 70 - Cell 2
72Matteo Bono (Ita) UAE Team EmiratesRow 71 - Cell 2
73Oscar Pelegri Ferrandis (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGARow 72 - Cell 2
74Fabricio Ferrari (Uru) Caja Rural-Seguros RGARow 73 - Cell 2
75Dylan Page (Swi) Caja Rural-Seguros RGARow 74 - Cell 2
76Filippo Fortin (Ita) Tirol Cycling TeamRow 75 - Cell 2
77Alessandro Tonelli (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 76 - Cell 2
78Danilo Napolitano (Ita) Wanty - Groupe GobertRow 77 - Cell 2
79Matthias Krizek (Aut) Tirol Cycling TeamRow 78 - Cell 2
80Bernhard Eisel (Aut) Dimension DataRow 79 - Cell 2
81Ryan Gibbons (RSA) Dimension DataRow 80 - Cell 2
82Simone Sterbini (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 81 - Cell 2
83Sergey Lagutin (Rus) Gazprom – RusveloRow 82 - Cell 2
84Simone Andreetta (Ita) Bardiani CSFRow 83 - Cell 2
85Ivan Rovny (Rus) Gazprom – RusveloRow 84 - Cell 2
86Marco Frapporti (Ita) Androni GiocattoliRow 85 - Cell 2
87Filippo Ganna (Ita) UAE Team Emirates0:03:15
88Niccolo' Salvietti (Ita) Sangemini - Mg. K Vis0:06:40
89Markus Wildauer (Aut) Tirol Cycling TeamRow 88 - Cell 2
90Louis Meintjes (RSA) UAE Team EmiratesRow 89 - Cell 2
91Johann Van Zyl (RSA) Dimension DataRow 90 - Cell 2
92Eugert Zhupa (Alb) Wilier TriestinaRow 91 - Cell 2
93Jaco Venter (RSA) Dimension DataRow 92 - Cell 2
94Hideto Nakane (Jpn) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 93 - Cell 2
95Giacomo Berlato (Ita) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 94 - Cell 2
96Enrico Salvador (Ita) Tirol Cycling TeamRow 95 - Cell 2
97Francesco Manuel Bongiorno (Ita) Sangemini - Mg. K VisRow 96 - Cell 2
98Jakub Mareczko (Ita) Wilier TriestinaRow 97 - Cell 2
99Ilia Koshevoy (Blr) Wilier TriestinaRow 98 - Cell 2
100Danilo Celano (Ita) Caja Rural-Seguros RGARow 99 - Cell 2
101Guy Niv (Isr) Israel Cycling AcademyRow 100 - Cell 2
102Iuri Filosi (Ita) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 101 - Cell 2
103Marino Kobayashi (Jpn) Nippo - Vini FantiniRow 102 - Cell 2
104Mark Cavendish (GBr) Dimension DataRow 103 - Cell 2
105Josu Zabala (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGARow 104 - Cell 2
106Igor Anton (Spa) Dimension DataRow 105 - Cell 2
107Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Wilier TriestinaRow 106 - Cell 2
108Igor Boev (Rus) Gazprom – RusveloRow 107 - Cell 2
109Andrei Solomennikov (Rus) Gazprom – RusveloRow 108 - Cell 2
110Angelo Raffaele (Ita) D'Amico Utensilnord0:10:54
111Angelo Vitiello (Ita) D'Amico Utensilnord0:11:50

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