Meersman wins opening stage at Volta ao Algarve

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Gianni Meersman (Lotto Belisol) won the opening stage of the Volta ao Algarve as the Belgian ProTour team continued its impressive start to the 2012 season. In a somewhat chaotic bunch sprint finale to the 151km opening stage, Meersman outkicked compatriot Greg van Avermaet (BMC) and Denmark's Matti Breschel (Rabobank) to secure his first win of the year.

The peloton made quick work of a steady five percent ascent in the final kilometres and as the parcours descended to the finish with 500m to go it was a free-for-all at the head of the race for stage honours.

"I'm really happy with my first win of the season," said Meersman. "I'm not a real sprinter, I'm more of a puncher. It's great to get my first win and we'll see about the rest of the week."

Runner-up Van Avermaet had teammates Steve Cummings and Tejay Van Garderen setting a furious tempo on the climb leading into the finish. "Meersman went with 250 or 200 metres to go, which I thought it was a bit too early, but it was downhill," Van Avermaet said. "It was good teamwork to get me up front."

Meersman also earned the first leader's jersey at the Volta ao Algarve and with the time bonuses on offer at the finish line he leads Van Avermaet by four seconds and Breschel by six seconds overall.

Three riders - Karsten Kroon (Saxo Bank), Ricardo Mestre (Carmim - Prio) and Mickaël Cherel (Ag2R-La Mondiale) - attacked just prior to the day's first intermediate sprint at 19km and were soon joined by Sven Vandousselaere (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator) and Sergio Ferreira Sousa (Efapel - Glassdrive) to form the break of the day.

The quintet extended their lead to nearly five minutes, but the peloton was ever attentive and kept the escapees on a tight leash. Following the day's second and final intermediate sprint at 119km the break was reduced to three as Vandousselaere and Sousa were dropped. Kroon, Cherel and Mestre continued to share the workload in a smooth paceline at the head of the race, but wide open, straight roads leading into finale spelled the break's doom.

With Sky and Omega Pharma-QuickStep heading the chase effort the trio's fate was sealed and just inside of 14km remaining it was gruppo compatto in Algarve's opening stage.

Kroon, however, had made the most of his time on the attack, winning both intermediate sprints and both KOMs on offer and assuming the lead in each classification.

On the slightly uphill run-in to the finish no team was able to assert control of the bunch sprint finale and Gianni Meersman (Lotto Belisol) proved most adept at waiting for the perfect moment to launch his winning sprint.