Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var 2022 – Stage 1 [FULL STAGE]

February 18, 2022

Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var 2022 – Stage 1 – Saint-Raphaël – La Seyne-sur-Mer : 176,3 km

The Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var, which up until 2020 was known as the Tour du Haut Var, is a three-day stage race held in the hilly Var region of southeast France. The race often takes place in February, marking the start of the European stage racing season and the beginning of the long road towards the Tour de France in summer. Three hilly days in the Var mountains also serve as a perfect warm-up for those riders who are looking to find some form ahead of an action-packed spring season.

Caleb Ewan (Lotto Soudal) handily won the sprint on the opening stage of the Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var in La Seyne-sur-Mer, topping Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies) and Nacer Bouhanni (Arkéa-Samsic) to take the first leader’s jersey.

Ewan had to fight to stay in the peloton over the category 3 Côte du Mai with 12.5km to go but held on and made the victory look easy.

“We knew it was going to be super hard and very touch and go whether I’d make it over the climb, but today I felt really good,” Ewan said. “My team did a great job controlling the race firstly, and you saw them in the last 25k. They had me in a perfect position to start the climb and I still had five guys left over the top. I couldn’t ask for a better start than that.”

With Milan-San Remo a major goal for Ewan after last year’s second place, taking his second win of the season with a tough climb in the finale was a confirmation that his preparation for the Classic is on track.

“I feel really good this season. I showed on the climb I’m getting stronger. I think that’s just me developing as a rider. I’m really happy with the form,” Ewan said.

“I knew if I wanted to go well at San Remo I’m going to have to get over something like this today. Today was actually a very good test for that.”

How it unfolded
It was a beautiful day for the opening stage from Saint-Raphaël, and a rolling 177km route to the coastal town of La Seyne-sur-Mer.

Morne Van Niekerk (St-Michel-Auber 93), Evaldas Siskevicius (Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Métropole), Maël Guégan (Team U Nantes Atlantique), and Tristan Delacroix (Nice Métropole Côte d’Azur) formed the first breakaway in the first 10 kilometres, but they were never given much of a lead with the sprinters itching for a battle to win the stage. The peloton let them stretch their advantage to almost three minutes before it boomeranged back to a minute in the final 100km.

Delacroix claimed the intermediate sprint at Les Issambres after 16.6km and the breakaway stayed clear for the first two classified climbs of the day, the category three Col de la Taillude and Col de la Fourche in the second hour of racing.

Delacroix led the breakaway over the first climb, whiel Siskevicius claimed the second. By the time the breakaway got to the second sprint at Circuit du Castellet, the leaders had less than 30 seconds on the chase.

The peloton let the lead go out slightly in the technical run-in to the final climb but they were reeled in before the base of the Côte du Mai with 17km to go.

Kevin Geniets attacked near the start of the final climb and opened half a minute on the rest of the leaders but was just about caught by the crest of the Côte du Mai.

Michael Valgren (EF Education-EasyPost) tried to foil the sprinters on a rise with 1.2km to go but his attack was quickly nullified by Lotto Soudal.

Anthony Turgis (TotalEnergies) tried to get the jump on Lotto Soudal, but the Belgian team, having done the lion’s share of the chasing were repaid for their work as Ewan easily won the sprint over Turgis with Nacer Bouhanni (Arkéa-Samsic) diving to third place.

Results :
1 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Lotto Soudal 4:14:44
2 Anthony Turgis (Fra) TotalEnergies
3 Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
4 Andrea Vendrame (Ita) AG2R Citroen Team
5 Alex Kirsch (Lux) Trek-Segafredo
6 Kévin Geniets (Lux) Groupama-FDJ
7 Anthony Maldonado (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93
8 Alexis Renard (Fra) Cofidis
9 James Shaw (GBr) EF Education-EasyPost
10 Damien Touze (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
11 Martijn Tusveld (Ned) Team DSM
12 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal
13 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
14 Florian Vermeersch (Bel) Lotto Soudal
15 Lilian Calmejane (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
16 Julien Simon (Fra) TotalEnergies
17 Nairo Quintana (Col) Arkea-Samsic
18 Arjen Livyns (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
19 Jonathan Couanon (Fra) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur
20 Mattias Skjelmose (Den) Trek-Segafredo
21 Valentin Madouas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
22 Guillaume Martin (Fra) Cofidis
23 Andreas Kron (Den) Lotto Soudal
24 Maxime Bouet (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
25 Louis Barre (Fra) Team U Nantes Atlantique
26 Thibault Ferasse (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
27 Flavien Maurelet (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93
28 Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) TotalEnergies
29 Joris Delbove (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93
30 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
31 Anders Skaarseth (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
32 Daniel Oss (Ita) TotalEnergies
33 Franck Bonnamour (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
34 Aurélien Paret Peintre (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
35 Romain Combaud (Fra) Team DSM
36 Lukasz Owsian (Pol) Arkea-Samsic
37 Roger Adria Oliveras (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
38 François Bidard (Fra) Cofidis
39 Larry Warbasse (USA) AG2R Citroen Team
40 Mark Donovan (GBr) Team DSM 0:00:08
41 Miguel Eduardo Florez Lopez (Col) Arkea-Samsic
42 Elmar Reinders (Ned) Riwal Cycling Team
43 Christopher Hamilton (Aus) Team DSM
44 Victor Lafay (Fra) Cofidis
45 Maxime Chevalier (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
46 Torstein Træen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
47 Mathias Bregnhøj (Den) Riwal Cycling Team
48 Jacob Eriksson (Swe) Riwal Cycling Team
49 Andréa Mifsud (Fra) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur
50 Jonas Rutsch (Ger) EF Education-EasyPost
51 Emmanuel Morin (Fra) Team U Nantes Atlantique
52 Michael Storer (Aus) Groupama-FDJ
53 Anthony Perez (Fra) Cofidis
54 Jonas Gregaard (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
55 Marti Marquez Roman (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
56 Eddy Fine (Fra) Cofidis
57 Maxime Jarnet (Fra) Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Meropole
58 Jonathan Hivert (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
59 Valentin Ferron (Fra) TotalEnergies
60 Michael Valgren (Den) EF Education-EasyPost
61 Nicolas Edet (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
62 Dimitri Peyskens (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
63 Axel Mariault (Fra) Team U Nantes Atlantique
64 Victor Koretzky (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
65 Luc Wirtgen (Lux) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB 0:00:34
66 Lukasz Wisniowski (Pol) EF Education-EasyPost
67 Mathias Le Turnier (Fra) Team U Nantes Atlantique 0:00:36
68 Hideto Nakane (Jpn) EF Education-EasyPost
69 Cyril Gautier (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM 0:00:39
70 Maxime Urruty (Fra) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur
71 Arnaud De Lie (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:00:42
72 Harry Sweeny (Aus) Lotto Soudal
73 Nicolas Debeaumarche (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93
74 Cyril Barthe (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
75 Clément Carisey (Fra) Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Meropole 1:05:00
76 Tom Mainguenaud (Fra) Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Meropole 0:01:05
77 Asbjørn Hellemose (Den) Trek-Segafredo 0:01:15
78 Lorenzo Milesi (Ita) Team DSM
79 Eugenio Sanchez Lopez (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
80 Samuel Leroux (Fra) Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Meropole
81 Remy Mertz (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
82 Antoine Berlin (Mon) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur
83 Jaime Castrillo Zapater (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
84 Hannes Wilksch (Ger) Team DSM
85 Jean Goubert (Fra) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur
86 Thomas Champion (Fra) Cofidis
87 Pau Miquel Delgado (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
88 Simon Carr (GBr) EF Education-EasyPost
89 Danny van der Tuuk (Ned) Equipo Kern Pharma
90 Yoann Paillot (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93
91 Mikaël Cherel (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
92 Tom Paquot (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
93 Dorian Godon (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
94 Kevin Ledanois (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
95 Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Eri) Trek-Segafredo
96 Kenny Molly (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
97 Jordan Jegat (Fra) Team U Nantes Atlantique 0:02:54
98 Tristan Delacroix (Fra) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur
99 Marco Tizza (Ita) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB 0:04:49
100 Morné Van Niekerk (RSA) St Michel-Auber 93 0:05:13
101 Thomas Denis (Fra) Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Meropole
102 Peter Sagan (Svk) TotalEnergies
103 Christoffer Lisson (Den) Riwal Cycling Team
104 Brent Van Moer (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:05:43
105 Morten Nørtoft (Den) Riwal Cycling Team 0:06:43
106 Martijn Budding (Ned) Riwal Cycling Team 0:06:44
107 Evaldas Siskevicius (Ltu) Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Meropole 0:07:52
108 Anthony Roux (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
109 Julien Amadori (Fra) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur
110 Magnus Brynsrud (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
111 Torjus Sleen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
112 Søren Vosgerau (Den) Riwal Cycling Team
113 Anders Halland Johannessen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
114 Sergio Araiz Michel (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
115 Yael Joalland (Fra) Team U Nantes Atlantique
116 Maël Guegan (Fra) Team U Nantes Atlantique
117 Lewis Askey (GBr) Groupama-FDJ 0:10:46
Jérémy Leveau (Fra) Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Meropole

General Classification after Stage 1 :
1 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Lotto Soudal 4:14:44
2 Anthony Turgis (Fra) TotalEnergies
3 Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
4 Andrea Vendrame (Ita) AG2R Citroen Team
5 Alex Kirsch (Lux) Trek-Segafredo
6 Kévin Geniets (Lux) Groupama-FDJ
7 Anthony Maldonado (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93
8 Alexis Renard (Fra) Cofidis
9 James Shaw (GBr) EF Education-EasyPost
10 Damien Touze (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
11 Martijn Tusveld (Ned) Team DSM
12 Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Soudal
13 Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
14 Florian Vermeersch (Bel) Lotto Soudal
15 Lilian Calmejane (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
16 Julien Simon (Fra) TotalEnergies
17 Nairo Quintana (Col) Arkea-Samsic
18 Arjen Livyns (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
19 Jonathan Couanon (Fra) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur
20 Mattias Skjelmose (Den) Trek-Segafredo
21 Valentin Madouas (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
22 Guillaume Martin (Fra) Cofidis
23 Andreas Kron (Den) Lotto Soudal
24 Maxime Bouet (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
25 Louis Barre (Fra) Team U Nantes Atlantique
26 Thibault Ferasse (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
27 Flavien Maurelet (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93
28 Alexis Vuillermoz (Fra) TotalEnergies
29 Joris Delbove (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93
30 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
31 Anders Skaarseth (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
32 Daniel Oss (Ita) TotalEnergies
33 Franck Bonnamour (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
34 Aurélien Paret Peintre (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
35 Romain Combaud (Fra) Team DSM
36 Lukasz Owsian (Pol) Arkea-Samsic
37 Roger Adria Oliveras (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
38 François Bidard (Fra) Cofidis
39 Larry Warbasse (USA) AG2R Citroen Team
40 Victor Koretzky (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
41 Cyril Barthe (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
42 Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier (Eri) Trek-Segafredo
43 Kenny Molly (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
44 Mark Donovan (GBr) Team DSM 0:00:08
45 Miguel Eduardo Florez Lopez (Col) Arkea-Samsic
46 Elmar Reinders (Ned) Riwal Cycling Team
47 Christopher Hamilton (Aus) Team DSM
48 Victor Lafay (Fra) Cofidis
49 Maxime Chevalier (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
50 Torstein Træen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
51 Mathias Bregnhøj (Den) Riwal Cycling Team
52 Jacob Eriksson (Swe) Riwal Cycling Team
53 Andréa Mifsud (Fra) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur
54 Jonas Rutsch (Ger) EF Education-EasyPost
55 Emmanuel Morin (Fra) Team U Nantes Atlantique
56 Michael Storer (Aus) Groupama-FDJ
57 Anthony Perez (Fra) Cofidis
58 Jonas Gregaard (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
59 Marti Marquez Roman (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
60 Eddy Fine (Fra) Cofidis
61 Maxime Jarnet (Fra) Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Meropole
62 Jonathan Hivert (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM
63 Valentin Ferron (Fra) TotalEnergies
64 Michael Valgren (Den) EF Education-EasyPost
65 Nicolas Edet (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
66 Dimitri Peyskens (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
67 Axel Mariault (Fra) Team U Nantes Atlantique
68 Luc Wirtgen (Lux) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB 0:00:34
69 Lukasz Wisniowski (Pol) EF Education-EasyPost
70 Mathias Le Turnier (Fra) Team U Nantes Atlantique 0:00:36
71 Hideto Nakane (Jpn) EF Education-EasyPost
72 Cyril Gautier (Fra) B&B Hotels-KTM 0:00:39
73 Maxime Urruty (Fra) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur
74 Arnaud De Lie (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:00:42
75 Harry Sweeny (Aus) Lotto Soudal
76 Nicolas Debeaumarche (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93
77 Clément Carisey (Fra) Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Meropole 0:01:05
78 Tom Mainguenaud (Fra) Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Meropole
79 Asbjørn Hellemose (Den) Trek-Segafredo 0:01:15
80 Lorenzo Milesi (Ita) Team DSM
81 Eugenio Sanchez Lopez (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
82 Samuel Leroux (Fra) Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Meropole
83 Remy Mertz (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
84 Antoine Berlin (Mon) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur
85 Jaime Castrillo Zapater (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
86 Hannes Wilksch (Ger) Team DSM
87 Jean Goubert (Fra) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur
88 Thomas Champion (Fra) Cofidis
89 Pau Miquel Delgado (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
90 Simon Carr (GBr) EF Education-EasyPost
91 Danny van der Tuuk (Ned) Equipo Kern Pharma
92 Yoann Paillot (Fra) St Michel-Auber 93
93 Mikaël Cherel (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
94 Tom Paquot (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB
95 Dorian Godon (Fra) AG2R Citroen Team
96 Kevin Ledanois (Fra) Arkea-Samsic
97 Jordan Jegat (Fra) Team U Nantes Atlantique 0:02:54
98 Tristan Delacroix (Fra) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur
99 Marco Tizza (Ita) Bingoal Pauwels Sauces WB 0:04:49
100 Morné Van Niekerk (RSA) St Michel-Auber 93 0:05:13
101 Thomas Denis (Fra) Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Meropole
102 Peter Sagan (Svk) TotalEnergies
103 Christoffer Lisson (Den) Riwal Cycling Team
104 Brent Van Moer (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:05:43
105 Morten Nørtoft (Den) Riwal Cycling Team 0:06:43
106 Martijn Budding (Ned) Riwal Cycling Team 0:06:44
107 Evaldas Siskevicius (Ltu) Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Meropole 0:07:52
108 Anthony Roux (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
109 Julien Amadori (Fra) Nice Metropole Cote d’Azur
110 Magnus Brynsrud (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
111 Torjus Sleen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
112 Søren Vosgerau (Den) Riwal Cycling Team
113 Anders Halland Johannessen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
114 Sergio Araiz Michel (Spa) Equipo Kern Pharma
115 Yael Joalland (Fra) Team U Nantes Atlantique
116 Maël Guegan (Fra) Team U Nantes Atlantique
117 Lewis Askey (GBr) Groupama-FDJ 0:10:46