Challenge de Mallorca 2022 (5 Trofeo Playa de Palma-Palma) – [Highlights]

January 30, 2021

Challenge de Mallorca 2021 – Trofeo Playa de Palma-Palma – Palma – Palma : 169,1 km

The Challenge Vuelta Ciclista a Mallorca (English: Tour of Majorca, Catalan: Challenge Volta Ciclista a Mallorca) is a series of four (five until 2012) professional one day road bicycle races held on the Spanish island of Mallorca in late January or early February. The event is used as an early season preparatory event by many of the top teams in readiness for the bigger races later in the season. The five races are ranked 1.1 on the UCI Europe Tour.

Arnaud De Lie (Lotto Soudal) recorded his first career victory in only his third race day as a pro rider after sprinting to victory at the Trofeo Playa de Palma-Palma.

The 19-year-old Belgian beat Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE Team Emirates) and Sasha Weemaes (Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise) in a reduced sprint finish on the final day of the Challenge Mallorca.

A crash in the final five kilometres saw a reduced group come to the line on a day expected to produce a mass sprint among the peloton. Big hitters like Giacomo Nizzolo (Israel-Premier Tech) and Michael Matthews (BikeExchange-Jayco) finished among the front group but it was De Lie who proved quickest in the dash to the line.

The highly rated De Lie came up through Lotto Soudal’s development squad and took five major wins at U23 level last year, including two stages of the Tour d’Alsace and the overall classification at the Tour of South Bohemia.

How it unfolded

A sprint finish was always likely to cap off the race, with the terrain of the 169.1-kilometre route flatter than the previous four days of the Challenge Mallorca. Centred around the Mallorcan capital of Palma, the major difficulties of the day were two third-category climbs, though the final 25 kilometres were pan-flat.

Nevertheless, a breakaway ventured out from the peloton regardless, with Ander Okamika (Burgos-BH) joined in the hopeful move by Sergio Roman Martín (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Xabier Azparren (Euskatel-Euskadi), and Isaac Cantón (Manuela Fundación Continental).

Back in the peloton it was UAE Team Emirates and Trek-Segafredo – for sprinter Matteo Moschetti – who did the bulk of the work on the front, limiting the gap and eventually dragging the four-man break back before the finish.

No moves came on the final climb of the day – the Coll de San Creu (9.1km at 3.2 per cent), though some did try to sneak off on the finishing circuit around Palma, with Euskaltel-Euskadi and Caja Rural-Seguros RGA among the teams sending men off the front.

A crash in the final kilometres disrupted what looked like being a fairly standard sprint day, causing a split at the front and leaving a smaller group than expected to contest the finish, with just 29 making it through. From there it was De Lie who had the strength to cross the line first, beating a cluster of far more experienced racers to take victory.

Results :
1 Arnaud De Lie (Bel) Lotto Soudal 3:54:23
2 Juan Sebastian Molano Benavides (Col) UAE Team Emirates
3 Sasha Weemaes (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
4 Hugo Hofstetter (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
5 Luca Colnaghi (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
6 Michael Matthews (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco
7 Giacomo Nizzolo (Ita) Israel Start-Up Nation
8 Filippo Fiorelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
9 Matteo Moschetti (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
10 Maximilian Walscheid (Ger) Cofidis
11 Manuel Peñalver Aniorte (Spa) Burgos-BH
12 Taj Jones (Aus) Israel Start-Up Nation
13 Piet Allegaert (Bel) Cofidis
14 Alexander Kristoff (Nor) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
15 Ivan Garcia Cortina (Spa) Movistar Team
16 Federico Burchio (Ita) Work Service – Vitalcare – Dynatek
17 Biniam Girmay (Eri) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
18 Matis Louvel (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
19 Nicola Venchiarutti (Ita) Work Service – Vitalcare – Dynatek
20 Matthew Walls (GBr) Bora-Hansgrohe
21 Oscar Pelegri Ferrandis (Spa) Burgos-BH
22 Antonio Jesus Soto Guirao (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
23 Alex Jaime Fernandez (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
24 Pascal Ackermann (Ger) UAE Team Emirates
25 Jesus Ezquerra Muela (Spa) Burgos-BH
26 Rudy Barbier (Fra) Israel Start-Up Nation
27 Samuele Zambelli (Ita) Work Service – Vitalcare – Dynatek
28 Jules Hesters (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
29 Emils Liepins (Lat) Trek-Segafredo
30 Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux 0:00:08
31 Adrien Petit (Fra) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
32 Umberto Marengo (Ita) Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli
33 Jens Schuermans (Bel) Beat Cycling 0:00:12
34 Peio Goikoetxea Goiogana (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
35 Andrii Ponomar (Ukr) Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli
36 Jenthe Biermans (Bel) Israel Start-Up Nation
37 Nans Peters (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
38 Jordy Bouts (Bel) Beat Cycling
39 Eduard Prades Reverter (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
40 Thimo Willems (Bel) Minerva Cycling Team
41 Luis Mas Bonet (Spa) Movistar Team
42 Fabio Mazzucco (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
43 Omer Goldstein (Isr) Israel Start-Up Nation
44 Gilles Borra (Bel) Minerva Cycling Team
45 Raul Garcia Pierna (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
46 Juan Diego Hoyos Cano (Col) Electro Hiper Europa – Caldas
47 Edwin Yair Torres (Ven) Java Kiwi Atlantico
48 Juri Hollmann (Ger) Movistar Team
49 Riccardo Carretta (Ita) Work Service – Vitalcare – Dynatek
50 Aaron Verwilst (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
51 Simon Pellaud (Swi) Trek-Segafredo
52 Miguel Angel Ballesteros Canovas (Spa) Electro Hiper Europa – Caldas
53 Enrico Battaglin (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
54 Jaakko Hänninen (Fin) AG2R Citroen Team
55 Giovanni Lonardi (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
56 Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Israel Start-Up Nation
57 Ryan Gibbons (RSA) UAE Team Emirates
58 Asier Etxeberria Zafra (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
59 Thomas Joseph (Bel) Minerva Cycling Team
60 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
61 Vincenzo Albanese (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
62 Julen Amezqueta Moreno (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
63 Mirco Maestri (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
64 Gijs Van Hoecke (Bel) AG2R Citroen Team
65 Jose Felix Parra Cuerda (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
66 Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Team Emirates
67 Albert Torres Barcelo (Spa) Movistar Team
68 Gonzalo Serrano Rodriguez (Spa) Movistar Team
69 Daniel Hoyos Largo (Col) Electro Hiper Europa – Caldas 0:00:23
70 Mateu Estelrich Cabanellas (Spa) Electro Hiper Europa – Caldas
71 Santiago Umba Lopez (Col) Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli
72 Jokin Murguialday (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
73 Eduardo Perez-Landaluce Gonzalez (Spa) Manuela Fundacion
74 Jan Bakelants (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
75 Angel Madrazo Ruiz (Spa) Burgos-BH
76 Igor Arrieta Lizarraga (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
77 Mario Aparicio Muñoz (Spa) Burgos-BH
78 Simone Ravanelli (Ita) Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli
79 Mattia Bais (Ita) Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli
80 André Carvalho (Por) Cofidis
81 Pelayo Sanchez Mayo (Spa) Burgos-BH
82 Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus) Bora-Hansgrohe
83 Nils Politt (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe
84 William Barta (USA) Movistar Team
85 Francesco Zandri (Ita) Work Service – Vitalcare – Dynatek
86 Davide Gabburo (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
87 Kevin Van Melsen (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
88 Cesare Benedetti (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe
89 Michael Schwarzmann (Ger) Lotto Soudal
90 Marco Haller (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe
91 Daan Hoole (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
92 Samuele Zoccarato (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
93 Tuur Dens (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
94 Kévin Vauquelin (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
95 Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe
96 Eddy Fine (Fra) Cofidis
97 Simon Guglielmi (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
98 Vito Braet (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
99 Andres Camilo Ardila Ordoñez (Col) UAE Team Emirates
100 Lukasz Owsian (Pol) Arkea-Samsic
101 Sergio Roman Martin Galan (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:00:40
102 Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:00:42
103 Romain Hardy (Fra) Arkea-Samsic 0:00:44
104 Jan Polanc (Slo) UAE Team Emirates 0:00:47
105 Riccardo Lucca (Ita) Work Service – Vitalcare – Dynatek 0:00:49
106 Joan Marti Bennassar Rossello (Spa) Manuela Fundacion 0:00:50
107 Davide Villella (Ita) Cofidis 0:00:53
108 Simon Geschke (Ger) Cofidis 0:00:57
109 Sebastian Berwick (Aus) Israel Start-Up Nation
110 Xabier Isasa Larrañaga (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:01:16
111 Marc Soler (Spa) UAE Team Emirates
112 Kenneth Vanbilsen (Bel) Cofidis
113 Viktor Verschaeve (Bel) Lotto Soudal
114 Harm Vanhoucke (Bel) Lotto Soudal
115 Robbe Ghys (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:01:38
116 Kevin Colleoni (Ita) BikeExchange-Jayco 0:02:12
117 Damien Howson (Aus) BikeExchange-Jayco 0:02:16
118 Matthew Holmes (GBr) Lotto Soudal 0:02:58
119 Andreas Kron (Den) Lotto Soudal
120 Xavier Cañellas Sanchez (Spa) Java Kiwi Atlantico 0:03:01
121 Dion Smith (NZl) BikeExchange-Jayco 0:03:35
122 Milan Fretin (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
123 Yuki Ishihara (Jpn) Java Kiwi Atlantico 0:04:13
124 Yentl Vandevelde (Bel) Minerva Cycling Team
125 Jente Boons (Bel) Beat Cycling
126 Jarne Van Dyck (Bel) Minerva Cycling Team
127 Bram Dissel (Ned) Beat Cycling
128 Eduard-Michael Grosu (Rom) Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli
129 Yoeri Havik (Ned) Beat Cycling
130 Andreas Miltiadis (Cyp) Java Kiwi Atlantico
131 Xabier Mikel Azparren Irurzun (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
132 Unai Iribar Jauregi (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
133 Raul Rota Rus (Spa) Manuela Fundacion
134 Josu Etxeberria Azpilikueta (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
135 Isaac Canton Serrano (Spa) Manuela Fundacion
136 Ander Okamika Bengoetxea (Spa) Burgos-BH
137 Nikiforos Arvanitou (Gre) Java Kiwi Atlantico 0:06:59
138 Julen Irizar Laskurain (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:08:02
139 Marcos Jurado Rodriguez (Spa) Electro Hiper Europa – Caldas
140 Thomas Armstrong (GBr) Electro Hiper Europa – Caldas
141 Harry Sweeny (Aus) Lotto Soudal 0:09:42
142 Angel Deckers (Bel) Minerva Cycling Team
143 Erik Martorell Haga (Spa)
144 Santiago Mesa Pietralunga (Col) Manuela Fundacion
145 Frederik Wandahl (Den) Bora-Hansgrohe 0:10:55
146 Eric Paties Montagner (Ita) Work Service – Vitalcare – Dynatek
147 Vincent Hoppezak (Ned) Beat Cycling
148 Daniel Viegas (Por) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
149 Samuele Rivi (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
150 Diego Rosa (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
151 Diego Pablo Sevilla Lopez (Spa) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
DNF Oier Lazkano Lopez (Spa) Movistar Team
DNF Valentin Paret Peintre (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
DNF Lawrence Naesen (Bel) AG2R Citroen Team
DNS Felix Gall (Aut) AG2R Citroen Team
DNF Jack Bauer (NZl) BikeExchange-Jayco
DNF Sam Bewley (NZl) BikeExchange-Jayco
DNF Christopher Juul-Jensen (Den) BikeExchange-Jayco
DNF Kobe Goossens (Bel) Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux
DNF Jon Aberasturi Izaga (Spa) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Jakob Egholm (Den) Trek-Segafredo
DNF Iúri Leitão (Por) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
DNF Yesid Pira Parada (Col) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
DNF Sergio Araiz Michel (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
DNF Jon Agirre Egaña (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
DNF Ivan Moreno Sanchez (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
DNF Trym Bjørner Westgaard Holther (Nor) Drone Hopper-Androni Giocattoli
DNF Matthijs Büchli (Ned) Beat Cycling
DNF Gil D´Heygere (Bel) Minerva Cycling Team
DNF Gaizka Gurrutxaga Etxeberria (Spa) Java Kiwi Atlantico
DNF Tomoya Koyama (Jpn) Java Kiwi Atlantico
DNF Pablo Alonso Montes (Spa) Electro Hiper Europa – Caldas
DNF Vicente Hernaiz Santamaria (Spa) Manuela Fundacion