Route d'Occitanie: Marijn van den Berg holds off Elia Viviani to win stage 1
EF Education-EasyPost rider takes first leader's jersey in four-day race
Marijn van den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost) won the first stage of the Route d’Occitanie in a bunch sprint after a nervy, crosswind-affected day in southern France.
The Dutchman pipped Elia Viviani (Ineos Grenadiers) on the finish line, with Sandy Dujardin (TotalEnergies) in third place after a 184.3km route between Narbonne and Gruissan.
“It’s always really nice to win. I think it was a tough day, especially because it was really warm and we rode really hard,” Van den Berg said after the finish. It is his second victory of the season, following his triumph at January’s Trofeo des Salines-Alcudia.
“Simon Carr is our leader this week so we will try to help him to get the best result possible,” he added. “It’s really nice that he’s from this area so he’s motivated as well.”
There was a threat of splits in the bunch on the blustery finale around Narbonne.
Breakaway members Théo Delacroix (St Michel-Mavic-Auber 93), Carlos García (Equipo Kern Pharma), Maxime Urrity (Euskaltel-Euskadi) and Burgos-BH pair Eric Antonio Fagundez and Mario Aparicio were brought to heel 50 kilometres from the finish as the pace shot up in the peloton.
Groupama-FDJ and Ineos Grenadiers were to the fore. With winds gusting over 35 kph, nerves were high and no contender wanted to be caught out.
Léo Danès (CIC U Nantes Atlantique) and Célestin Guillon (Van Rysel-Roubaix Lille Métropole escaped with 25 kilometres to go before being brought to heel as the speed shot up before the seaside crosswind finale.
With seven kilometres left, 25 riders made the front split in the wind as EF Education-EasyPost forced the tempo.
On an anxious run-in, Bram Welten (Groupama-FDJ) and an Euskaltel-Euskadi rider crashed due to a touch of wheels in the front group.
In the final kilometre, Filippo Ganna roared to the front to give a lead-out for Viviani. However, the Italian opted to stay several wheels back and was boxed in as Van den Berg started the sprint.
He had to elbow his way past Sandy Dujardin on the barriers and it was too little, too late. Van den Berg held on, making sure of victory with a bike throw on the line.
Results
Results powered by FirstCycling
Thank you for reading 5 articles in the past 30 days*
Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read any 5 articles for free in each 30-day period, this automatically resets
After your trial you will be billed £4.99 $7.99 €5.99 per month, cancel anytime. Or sign up for one year for just £49 $79 €59
Join now for unlimited access
Try your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Formerly the editor of Rouleur magazine, Andy McGrath is a freelance journalist and the author of God Is Dead: The Rise and Fall of Frank Vandenbroucke, Cycling’s Great Wasted Talent
Latest on Cyclingnews
-
‘This is Team UAE Emirates, not Team Pogi’ - Behind the scenes of Tadej Pogačar's Giro-Tour double bid
A look inside the relationship between the Slovenian and his team -
'I surprised myself' - Luke Plapp grasps GC advantage ahead of Tour de Romandie TT
Australian jumps over to break on final climb of stage 2, gains valuable seconds on other overall contenders as he takes third -
Tour of the Gila: Marlies Mejias Garcia wins stage 2 as Stephens retains race lead
Repeat victory for Cuban, who out-sprinted Kuskova on stage to Fort Bayard -
Tour of the Gila: Scott McGill wins men's stage 2 Inner Loop Road Race
Stites moves into race lead with third at Fort Bayard