Tour Poitou-Charentes: Wærenskjold sprints to opening stage victory

Søren Wærenskjold (Uno-X Pro Cycling) won the bunch sprint on stage 1 of Tour Poitou-Charentes en Nouvelle-Aquitaine on Tuesday. From a trio of riders to cross the line in Matha and separated by only half a wheel, Giovanni Lonardi (Eolo-Kometa) took second and Paul Penhoët (Groupama-FDJ) followed in third.

The 23-year-old Norwegian’s victory on the 193.1km opening stage replicated his start a week ago at the Tour of Denmark, where he took the leader’s jersey on that first day of racing, finishing fourth overall. 

Tuesday’s victory was the fifth victory of the year for Wærenskjold, who took the first GC lead for the four-day race, one second over Scott McGill (Human Powered Health) and four seconds over the Eolo-Kometa duo of Lonardi and Diego Sevilla. McGill and Sevilla were part of a five-rider breakaway, McGill taking the total amount of points at the three sprints at Rouhénac, Foussignac and Les Touches-de-Périgny to give him the time bonuses for a GC position and the sprint classification jersey.

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"I knew that if I focused on the sprints with time bonuses instead of the KOM, I would be able to climb the GC. I was able to win all three and so I’m really glad to have put the plan into reality and be second overall,” he said after stage 1.

Tour Poitou-Charentes en Nouvelle-Aquitaine features four road stages and one time trial. Stage 2 is a rolling 187.3km contest between Aulnay de Saintonge and Bressuire.

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