British champion takes rare bunch victory as late climbs leave the sprinters behind
Bradley Wiggins (Team Sky) took a rare bunch victory in the first road stage of the Tour of Romandie, between Morges and la Chaux-de-Fonds. The British champion outsprinted what was left of the peloton after the jagged-profiled 184.5 km stage, after his team was in control for most of the day.
Wiggins launched his sprint with 300 metres to go, and with no pure sprinters left in the peloton after the late climbs in the stage, managed to hold off the attentions of Lieuwe Westra (Vacansoleil-DCM) and Amstel Gold Race winner Paolo Tiralongo (Astana), who took second and third.
The stage was dominated by a break from Martin Kohler (BMC Racing), Kenny Dehaes (Lotto-Belisol), Angelo Tulik (Europcar), and Jimmy Engoulvent (Saur-Sojasun). The four riders got away early in the day, and built a maximum lead of 5’09” at the 69km point. Team Sky put its entire team at the front of the peloton however, and caught the foursome as they hit the foot of the 2nd category Haut de la Côte with 30km to go.
The numerous attacks that followed put paid to the chances of Wiggins’ teammates, World champion Mark Cavendish, and race leader Geraint Thomas. Despite a mechanical issue that saw the British champion drop back with just over 20km to go, Team Sky - along with the BMC Racing Team - managed to reorganise and neutralise a number of late moves.
Into the final kilometre, Liquigas-Cannondale took the front for Maciej Paterski, but Wiggins early sprint saw the Italian team swamped by the rush of riders to catch the British champion’s wheel.
Bonus seconds on the line saw Wiggins take over the leader’s jersey from Thomas, with Sky teammate Michael Rogers in second, and Bauke Mollema (Rabobank) in third.
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A dry day and an early breakaway
After the rain that had blighted the latter stages of the previous day’s prologue, the first stage was raced under cloudy skies. Some of the roads were still a little damp however, but this was not to cause any problems on the mostly well-made roads of southern Switzerland.
Kohler, Dehaes, Tulik and Engoulvent escaped in the opening kilometres, and were immediately allowed to open a lead over the peloton. Engoulvent was the best placed, just 17 seconds behind prologue winner Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) in 62nd place, but the British team was willing to give the Frenchman a little space early on.
As they passed through the economically named village of Concise, after just 47km the quartet had opened its lead to 4’02”, which was up to 4’38” in Colombier after 64km, and 5’09” in Rochefort after 69. As Team Sky controlled the peloton behind them however, it began to come down again almost immediately, dropping to 4’35” as the race passed through Boudevilliers after 78km.
The feedzone, just outside Villiers after 91km, saw Denis Menchov (Katusha) abandon. Kohler led the break over the 2nd category climb to Les Bugnenets after 95.2km, and at the 100km point, the gap was down to 3’44”.
As Dehaes led across the first passage of the Chaux-de-Fonds finish line, with just the hilly 65km finishing loop to go, the quartet’s advantage was down to 3’21”.
Seven of the eight Team Sky riders were lined up in the front of the peloton, with Michael Rogers, in the green jersey, tucked in behind the working line of Danny Pate, Chris Froome and Kanstantsin Siutsou in fourth wheel, British champion Bradley Wiggins in fifth, race leader Geraint Thomas in sixth, and World champion Mark Cavendish in seventh. The steady tempo set by the men in black, white and blue saw the four-man group’s lead steadily reduced and, with 50km to go, it was just 2’18”.
Liquigas-Cannondale was also at the front of the peloton in force, but the Italian team was happy to allow Team Sky to do the work at this stage.
Team Sky chases the break down early and more attacks go
With 30km to go, as the breakaway arrived at the foot of the Haut de la Côte, its advantage had been cut to just 58 seconds. This might mean that the four riders were caught before the sprinters were ready, but Team Sky pressed on regardless. Cavendish was struggling as soon as the road began to rise, along with Lithuanian champion Ramunas Navardauskas (Gamin-Barracuda), and a number of others.
Up ahead, seeing that the peloton was on the brink of catching up, Kohler struck out alone, leaving the others to be swallowed by the front of the bunch. The Swiss rider was caught by a counterattacking group midway up the climb however, led by Fabrice Jeandesboz (Saur-Sojasun). The 27-year-old Frenchman was given a brief launch by teammate Engoulvent, as he drifted backwards, and set off alone.
As the peloton’s speed increased in pursuit of Jeandesboz, Thomas - who has only recently returned to the road after the World track championships - found himself among the increasing group of riders who were shelled out of the back.
Thomas Rohregger (RadioShack-Nissan) escaped in pursuit of Jeandesboz, but the Frenchman was still clear as he rode over the top with 25.4km to go. Rohregger was picked up shortly before the summit, with Jeandesboz pulled back shortly afterwards and, on the false flat that followed, Thibaut Pinot (FDJ-BigMat) surged away.
Wiggins drops back as his rivals attack
Several riders surged across to the lone Frenchman, as Wiggins drifted backwards down the peloton with an apparent mechanical problem, briefly forming a group out front. Through the intermediate sprint in Les Ponts-de-Martels with 20.2km to go, Stef Clement (Rabobank) jumped away.
Chris Anker Sørensen and Manuele Boaro (both Saxo Bank), Maxime Mederel (Saur-Sojasun), Rob Ruijgh (Vacansoleil-DCM), Kevin Seeldraeyers (Astana) and Ryder Hesjedal (Garmin-Barracuda) were among those to jump across to the Dutchman and, with Wiggins still making his way forward, Team Sky was nowhere to be see at the front; nobody else was willing to give chase.
Siutsou and Rogers brought Wiggins back the the front however, and - with Richie Porte - caught the rear of the group as it arrived at the start of the 3rd category climb to Le Communal de la Sagne with 13km to go.
As teammates Sørensen and Boaro were caught, Saxo Bank’s Daniel Navarro jumped clear; he was chased by Rinaldo Nocentini (AG2R La Mondiale) and Mederel, but Team Sky was now well organised at the front of the peloton, and it was right behind them as they crested the top with just 11.4km to go.
The two chasers caught Navarro as they arrived at the bottom of the descent, but the BMC Racing team joined Team Sky in closing them down with seven kilometres to go.
Pierre Rolland (Europcar) was the next to try his luck, with Giampaolo Caruso (Katusha) and Rui Costa (Movistar) jumping across. Jeandesboz tried to bridge across, but BMC Racing - led by Tejay van Garderen - brought it all back together with just over three kilometres to go.
Rolland and Jeandesboz were determined to get away, but Rabobank and Liquigas-Cannondale quickly closed them down.
Liquigas-Cannondale was leading the race out, with Sylwester Szmyd leading compatriot Paterski towards the line, but Wiggins launched himself with a long way to go and managed to hold off the rest all the way to the line.