Trofeo Palma: Modolo wins opening race of Mallorca Challenge

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Sacha Modolo (Lampre-Merida) picked up his second win of the season in a hotly contested sprint at the Trofeo Palma de Mallorca, on Sunday.

The Italian held off the challenge from Jens Debusschere (Lotto-Belisol) and Dylan Groenewegen (Cyclingteam de Rijke) and, despite Groenewegen lifting his arms in the air when he crossed the line, Modolo was awarded the win by the race commissaries after a photo finish.

It was Modolo’s second win in his new Lampre colours after he opened his season’s account at the Tour de San Luis in January.

“Three or four riders came up to me really close to the line because I was fading, 30 or 40 metres from the line, and it ended up being a photo-finish. Somebody else put their hands up but it was me who won!" said Modolo.

The Trofeo Palma, the road season opening event in Spain, began under bright skies in the Mallorca capital. For the majority of the peloton it was the first opportunity to catch up after a period of hibernation and winter training. Freshly shaved legs, a few extra kilos but broader than usual smiles, the race with its relaxed atmosphere is a world away from the pressures of the grand tours.

And the peloton couldn’t have had a gentler opening race to kick-start the four day event with a 12km circuit around Palma. Riders can also swap in and out of the races on a day to day basis, as Bradley Wiggins and Chris Horner chose to today when they appeared for the teams’ presentation before going their separate ways on training rides.

In the opening circuits of the race a five man group established a slight lead. Alex Howes (Garmin Sharp) in his first race of the year, slipped clear with compatriot Ian Boswell (Team Sky), Alexandre Pichot (Europcar), the ever-aggressive Amets Txurruka (Caja Rural) and Ronan Van Zandbeek (Cyclingteam de Rijke). Although their lead barely troubled the peloton they worked together along the coastal roads, establishing a minute’s lead.

Behind them, Lampre controlled affairs at the front of the bunch but the pace, still relatively subdued, allowed for those at the back to continue to reminisce over their winter training efforts.

Orica GreenEdge and Team Sky soon joined the Italian WorldTour team at the front end of the bunch and with 20km remaining the break had been neutralised. But with such a sprinter-friendly circuit and so many teams looking for a bunch gallop, the chances of another meaningful attack were slim.

While the willingness for the sprint may have been almost unanimous, there was nothing controlled about the finale, as sprint train after sprint train fractured under the stress of controlling the race. Through the confusion came Modolo, who took matters into his own hands with a risky dash for the line with 300 meters to go.

Groenewegen, arms up, was confident he’d crossed the line first. It would have been a major result for his team but, when the commissars began calling Modolo to the podium, Groenewegen’s smiles were replaced with anger and frustration. Not such a friendly, tense-free opener after all.

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