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Last Updated: 2 Apr 2018 - 8:45:17 PM |
ROCHE FIFTH ON OPENING STAGE OF VOLTA AO ALGARVE
By Shane Stokes
15 Feb 2012,
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Ireland’s Nicolas Roche has clocked up his first strong placing of the 2012 season by netting fifth on today’s opening stage of the Volta ao Agarve in Portugal. The Ag2r La Mondiale rider finished towards the front of the bunch in the gallop to the line, finishing just behind stage winner Gianni Meersman (Lotto Belisol) and runner-up Greg van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team).
Roche and several other riders appeared slightly caught out by the placing of the finish line, which came just after a sweeping curve in the road.
Meersman timed his gallop better than most and passed the flag first. Van Avermaet was a disappointed second, with Matti Breschel (Rabobank), Bjorn Leukemans (Vacansoleil-DCM) and Roche next home.
There are a total of four Irish riders in the race, with Philip Deignan (UnitedHealthcare), Ronan McLaughlin and Connor McConvey (An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly Sean Kelly) also taking part.
McLaughlin and Deignan finished in the main bunch, although a small split in that saw them classified as finishing seven seconds behind Meersman and 39 others. Connor McConvey finished one and a half minutes back.
Sam Bennett and the Liverpudlian Mark McNally were initially due to ride the early-season event but both had to scratch from the race due to flu. McLaughlin and the Belgian Joren Segers were called up to the An Post Grant Thornton M. Donnelly squad instead of them.
Today’s stage saw Roche’s team-mate Mickaël Cherel (Ag2R-La Mondiale), Karsten Kroon (Saxo Bank) and Ricardo Mestre (Carmin - Prio) go clear just before the first intermediate sprint (km 19), where Kroon was first, then were joined by Sven Vandousselaere (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator) and Sergio Ferreira Sousa (Efapel - Glassdrive).
The group worked well together to open a gap of almost five minutes, but the bunch didn’t allow them any more leeway. Vandousselaere and Sousa cracked after Kroon took the second intermediate sprint (km 119), while the other three were hauled back fourteen kilometres from the line.
Tomorrow’s lumpy second stage runs 187.5 kilometres from Faro to Lagoa. With the time bonuses applied, Meersman has a two seconds lead over Van Avermaet and four on Breschel. Roche is ten seconds back in fifth place overall. McLaughlin and Deignan are 17 seconds off the lead.
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Volta ao Algarve, Portugal (2.1):
Stage 1, February 15: Dunas Douradas (Almancil) – Albufeira:
1, Gianni Meersman (Lotto Belisol) 151 kilometres in 4 hours 2 mins 17 secs
2, Greg van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team)
3, Matti Breschel (Rabobank)
4, Bjorn Leukemans (Vacansoleil-DCM)
5, Nicolas Roche (Ag2R-La Mondiale)
6, Anthony Ravard (Ag2R-La Mondiale)
Other :
65, Pieter Ghyllebert (An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) at 7 secs
66, Ronan McLaughlin (An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly)
89, Philip Deignan (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling)
128, Mark Christian (An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) all same time
131, Gediminas Bagdonas (An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) at 30 secs
133, Niels Wytinck (An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) at 48 secs
141, Connor McConvey (An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) at 1 min 31 secs
142, Niko Eeckhout (An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) at 1 min 41 secs
157, Joren Segers (An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) same time
Points:
1, Gianni Meersman (Lotto Belisol) 25 pts
2, Greg van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team) 20
3, Matti Breschel (Rabobank) 16
4, Björn Leukemans (Vacansoleil-DCM) 13
5, Nicolas Roche (Ag2R-La Mondiale) 10
Sprint 1 - Snack-Bar Delfim, 19km:
1, Karsten Kroon (Saxo Bank) 3 pts
2, Ricardo Mestre (Carmim-Prio) 2
3, Mikael Cherel (Ag2R-La Mondiale) 1
Sprint 2 - Boliqueime, 119km:
1, Karsten Kroon (Saxo Bank) 3 pts
2, Sven Vandousselaere (Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator) 2
3, Ricardo Mestre (Carmim-Prio) 1
Mountain 1 - Barranco do Velho (Cat. 3) 37.7km:
1, Karsten Kroon (Saxo Bank) 5 pts
2, Sérgio Sousa (Efapel-Glassdrive) 3
3, Ricardo Mestre (Carmim-Prio) 1
Mountain 2 - Picota (Cat. 3) 112km:
1, Karsten Kroon (Saxo Bank) 5 pts
2, Sérgio Sousa (Efapel-Glassdrive) 3
3, Mikael Cherel (Ag2R-La Mondiale) 1
Teams :
1, Ag2R-La Mondiale, 12 hours 6 mins 51 secs
2, Vacansoleil-DCM
3, Omega Pharma-QuickStep
4, Sky Procycling
5, BMC Racing Team
Other:
16, UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team, at 14 secs
19, An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly, at 21 secs
General classification after stage 1:
1, Gianni Meersman (Lotto Belisol) 4 hours 2 mins 7 secs
2, Greg van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team) at 4 secs
3, Matti Breschel (Rabobank) at 6 secs
4, Björn Leukemans (Vacansoleil-DCM) at 10 secs
5, Nicolas Roche (Ag2R-La Mondiale)
6, Anthony Ravard (Ag2R-La Mondiale) all same time
Other:
64, Pieter Ghyllebert (An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) at 17 secs
65, Ronan McLaughlin (An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly)
88, Philip Deignan (UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling)
127, Mark Christian (An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) all same time
131, Gediminas Bagdonas (An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) at 40 secs
133, Niels Wytinck (An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) at 58 secs
141, Connor McConvey (An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) at 1 min 41 secs
142, Niko Eeckhout (An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) at 1 min 51 secs
157, Joren Segers (An Post Grant Thornton Sean Kelly) at 13 mins 1 sec
Points classification:
1, Gianni Meersman (Lotto Belisol) 25 pts
2, Greg van Avermaet (BMC Racing Team) 20
3, Matti Breschel (Rabobank) 16
4, Björn Leukemans (Vacansoleil-DCM) 13
5, Nicolas Roche (Ag2R-La Mondiale) 10
Mountains classification:
1, Karsten Kroon (Saxo Bank) 10 pts
2, Sérgio Sousa (Efapel-Glassdrive) 6
3, Ricardo Mestre (Carmim-Prio) 1
4, Mikael Cherel (Ag2R-La Mondiale) 1
Sprint classification:
1, Karsten Kroon (Saxo Bank) 6 pts
2, Ricardo Mestre (Carmim-Prio) 3
3, Sven Vandousselaere (Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator) 2
4, Mikael Cherel (Ag2R-La Mondiale) 1
Teams classification :
1, Ag2R-La Mondiale 1) at 2:6 mins 51 secs
2, Vacansoleil-DCM)
3, Omega Pharma-QuickStep)
4, Sky Procycling)
5, BMC Racing Team)
6, Garmin-Barracuda)
Other:
16, UnitedHealthcare Pro Cycling Team) at 14 secs
19, An Post - Sean Kelly) at 21 secs
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