Jake Stewart (Groupama-FDJ) claimed victory on stage 1 of the Tour de l’Ain after beating Emmanuel Morin (CIC U Nantes Atlantique) and Nacer Bouhanni (Arkéa-Samsic) in a bunch sprint at La Plaine Tonique. The win was the second of the Briton’s career, with the first coming on the corresponding stage of this race a year ago.
“I think it’s clear I like this race. It’s second year I’m here and my second win,” Stewart said. “This stage suited me better last year, it was harder in the finish, whereas this year it was pan flat and it was always going to be a chaotic sprint. Fabian [Lienhard] did a perfect lead-out, he opened up with 500m to go. I just went at 250 to go and I went hard until the line.”
The race was animated by early attackers Aloïs Charrin (Tudor Pro Cycling), Julian Lino (Nice Métropole Côte d'Azur) and Mads Østergaard Kristensen (Leopard), who gained a lead of more than two minutes on the peloton.
Charrin and Lino were later tangled up in a crash, however, leaving Kristensen to press on alone at the head of the race until he was swept up with 24km to go.
From there, a bunch sprint was inevitable, with Groupama-FDJ and Arkéa-Samsic active in teeing up the mass finish. Stewart won the day, though he knows teammate Rudy Molard and Michael Storer will be to the fore when the road climbs on Tuesday.
“We’ve come here with a really good team, with GC ambitions with Rudy and Michael,” Stewart said. “I’ll be at their service tomorrow and Wednesday.”
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