Tour of Britain 2018 – Stage 1 [FULL STAGE]

September 02, 2018

Tour of Britain 2018 – Stage 1 – Pembrey County – Newport : 175 km

With no Lars Boom, the 2018 OVO Energy Tour of Britain is without its defending champion. However, the Dutchman’s LottoNL-Jumbo team are bringing none other than Primož Roglic – the Slovenian star who took a solo stage win in the Pyrenees and fourth place overall at this year’s Tour de France. And it gets even better than that, with 2018 Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas and four-time Tour winner Chris Froome lining up for Team Sky at the race. Add to the mix sprinters André Greipel (Lotto Soudal), Caleb Ewan (Mitchelton-Scott) and Fernando Gaviria, plus the latter’s Quick-Step Floors teammate and the winner of two stages and the polka-dot jersey as best climber at this year’s Tour de France, Julian Alaphilippe, and it quickly becomes apparent that the Tour of Britain organisers are doing nothing short of spoiling roadside – and armchair – fans at this year’s race. On the racing front, the uphill team time trial on stage 5 brings something new to the table, while the climbers are catered for with a double ascent of the same climb used for the TTT – albeit from the other side of Whinlatter Pass – the next day. With sprinting opportunities aplenty, and the big finish in London, it all adds up to suggest that this year’s eight-day race could be one of the best yet.

Andre Greipel (Lotto Soudal) landed the sixth Tour of Britain stage of his career in Newport, with a late drive to the finish line showing the young Turks of sprinting Caleb Ewan (Mitchelton-Scott) and Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step floors) that he is still capable of winning, with the added twist that Ewan is set to replace the near-veteran German at Lotto Soudal next year.

After a largely controlled stage behind a six-man break that was never allowed to gain more than three minutes, the race briefly blew apart on the short steep climb of Belmont Hill, eight kilometres from the line, with Geraint Thomas (Team Sky) celebrating his return to home roads with a furious attack which looked serious in intent until the celebrations since the Tour de France made themselves felt, and he went backwards like a stone dropping off a bridge.

The pacemaking was taken over by Julian Alaphilippe, with his Quick-Step Floors teammate Bob Jungels close behind, and Direct Energie’s Jonathan Hivert closing on the descent with Katusha-Alpecin’s Mads Wartz Schmidt. The quartet collaborated briefly to gain 11 seconds, with Jungels then continuing solo as Alaphilippe marked the other two. The move was not planned, said the Quick-Step directeur sportive Brian Holm, with all his riders given a free hand in the final kilometres.

With the sprint teams struggling to get organised after the flurry of attacks up Belmont, it looked briefly as if Jungels might stay clear after the chasing trio were swept up three kilometres from home, but the Luxembourger gave best at the kilometre, setting the stage for a hectic sprint led out by BMC Racing. Gaviria flew clear too early, opening a two-length gap, but leaving Ewan time to make his effort on the left of the finish straight while Greipel went through the middle, swerving right to take advantage of a slight curve in the road.

The early escape took shape soon after the start flag was dropped at the exit from Pembrey Country Park, and it consisted of five riders from UK teams: Richard Handley (Madison-Genesis), Tom Moses (JLT-Condor), Matthew Teggart (Wiggins), Matt Bostock (Great Britain), with South African Nic Diamini from Dimension Data the only World Tour presence.

The sextet were clearly targeting the intermediate sprints and climbs, with Diamini ending up in the mountains jersey and Bostock in the sprint leader’s tunic, and with no more than a 2min 45sec advantage they were never going to survive to the finish, as Mitchelton-Scott, Team Sky, Quick-Step and EF Education First-Drapac maintained a constant tempo behind. The end came with 11 kilometres to go, after which the peloton was led at warp speed to the foot of Belmont by Ian Stannard and Vasil Kiriyenka.

While the race finished largely together in spite of the final climb before the finish, serious splits were anticipated on the hillier roads of North Devon on Monday, with a host of unranked ups and downs before the lengthy ascent of Bratton Fleming and the first-category climb of Challacombe before the finish in Barnstaple.

Results :
1 André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Soudal 4:00:54
2 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Mitchelton – Scott
3 Fernando Gaviria Rendon (Col) Quick – Step Floors
4 Gabriel Cullaigh (GBr) Team Wiggins
5 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Bmc Racing Team
6 Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
7 Ethan Hayter (GBr) Great Britain
8 Paolo Simion (Ita) Bardiani Csf
9 Vincenzo Albanese (Ita) Bardiani Csf
10 Wout Poels (Ned) Team Sky
11 Romain Cardis (Fra) Direct Energie
12 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Team Ef Education First – Drapac P/B Cannondale
13 Edward Theuns (Bel) Team Sunweb
14 Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Movistar Team
15 Scott Thwaites (GBr) Team Dimension Data
16 Ben Swift (GBr) Great Britain
17 Rick Zabel (Ger) Team Katusha Alpecin
18 Carlos Barbero (Spa) Movistar Team
19 Joseph Nally (GBr) Great Britain
20 Emils Liepins (Lat) One Pro Cycling
21 Alex Dowsett (GBr) Team Katusha Alpecin
22 Koen Bouwman (Ned) Team Lotto Nl – Jumbo
23 Jos Van Emden (Ned) Team Lotto Nl – Jumbo
24 Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal
25 Nils Politt (Ger) Team Katusha Alpecin
26 Dion Smith (NZl) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
27 Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
28 José Rojas (Spa) Movistar Team
29 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Team Dimension Data
30 Thomas Stewart (GBr) Jlt Condor
31 Pascal Eenkhoorn (Ned) Team Lotto Nl – Jumbo
32 Lennard Hofstede (Ned) Team Sunweb
33 Patrick Bevin (NZl) Bmc Racing Team
34 Enrico Barbin (Ita) Bardiani Csf
35 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Direct Energie
36 Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) Team Dimension Data
37 Taylor Phinney (USA) Team Ef Education First – Drapac P/B Cannondale
38 Jonathan Mould (GBr) Jlt Condor
39 Thomas Pidcock (GBr) Team Wiggins
40 Ruben Fernandez (Spa) Movistar Team
41 Matthew Holmes (GBr) Madison Genesis
42 Neilson Powless (USA) Team Lotto Nl – Jumbo
43 Stefan Küng (Swi) Bmc Racing Team
44 Fred Wright (GBr)
45 Christopher Hamilton (Aus) Team Sunweb
46 Maximilian Stedman (GBr) Canyon Eisberg
47 Dmitrii Strakhov (Rus) Lokosphinx
48 Bob Jungels (Lux) Quick – Step Floors
49 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Soudal
50 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Quick – Step Floors
51 Matti Breschel (Den) Team Ef Education First – Drapac P/B Cannondale
52 Hugh John Carthy (GBr) Team Ef Education First – Drapac P/B Cannondale
53 Ryan Christensen (NZl) Canyon Eisberg
54 Nils Eekhoff (Ned) Development Team Sunweb
55 Matthew Teggart (Irl) Team Wiggins
56 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) Bmc Racing Team
57 Mads Schmidt Würtz (Den) Team Katusha Alpecin
58 Paul Ourselin (Fra) Direct Energie
59 Scott Davies (GBr) Team Dimension Data
60 Edmund Bradbury (GBr) Jlt Condor
61 Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Movistar Team
62 Andrew Tennant (GBr) Canyon Eisberg
63 Victor De La Parte (Spa) Movistar Team
64 Chris Froome (GBr) Team Sky
65 Tony Martin (Ger) Team Katusha Alpecin
66 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) Bmc Racing Team
67 Daniel Mclay (GBr) Team Ef Education First – Drapac P/B Cannondale
68 Hayden Mccormick (NZl) One Pro Cycling
69 Giovanni Carboni (Ita) Bardiani Csf
70 Maximiliano Ariel Richeze (Arg) Quick – Step Floors
71 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team Lotto Nl – Jumbo
72 Alessandro Tonelli (Ita) Bardiani Csf
73 Maximilian Schachmann (Ger) Quick – Step Floors
74 Simone Antonini (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
75 Cameron Meyer (Aus) Mitchelton – Scott
76 Miles Scotson (Aus) Bmc Racing Team
77 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky
78 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Lotto Soudal
79 Mikel Nieve Iturralde (Spa) Mitchelton – Scott
80 Mark Mcnally (GBr) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
81 Stephen Williams (GBr) Great Britain
82 Primož Roglic (Slo) Team Lotto Nl – Jumbo
83 Joey Walker (GBr) Team Wiggins
84 Alistair Slater (GBr) Jlt Condor
85 Moreno Hofland (Ned) Lotto Soudal
86 Angelo Tulik (Fra) Direct Energie
87 James Oram (NZl) One Pro Cycling
88 Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky
89 Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Direct Energie
90 Rob Power (Aus) Mitchelton – Scott
91 Jaco Venter (RSA) Team Dimension Data
92 James Shaw (GBr) Lotto Soudal 0:00:25
93 Connor Swift (GBr) Madison Genesis 0:00:53
94 Roger Kluge (Ger) Mitchelton – Scott
95 Andrea Guardini (Ita) Bardiani Csf 0:02:26
96 Thomas Baylis (GBr) One Pro Cycling
97 Christopher Latham (GBr) One Pro Cycling
98 Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Team Sunweb
99 Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Direct Energie
100 George Pym (GBr) Madison Genesis
101 Lukasz Wisniowski (Pol) Team Sky 0:03:55
102 Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Sky
103 Alex Paton (GBr) Canyon Eisberg
104 Dexter Gardias (GBr) Canyon Eisberg
105 Nicholas Dlamini (RSA) Team Dimension Data
106 Peter Williams (GBr) One Pro Cycling
107 Thomas Moses (GBr) Jlt Condor
108 James Fouche (NZl) Team Wiggins
109 Louis Vervaeke (Bel) Team Sunweb
110 Erick Rowsell (GBr) Madison Genesis 0:04:47
111 Richard Handley (GBr) Madison Genesis
112 Rory Townsend (GBr) Canyon Eisberg
113 Iljo Keisse (Bel) Quick – Step Floors
114 Jonathan Mcevoy (GBr) Madison Genesis
115 Lucas Hamilton (Aus) Mitchelton – Scott
116 Mark Downey (Irl) Team Wiggins
117 Matthew Bostock (GBr) Great Britain
118 Graham Briggs (GBr) Jlt Condor 0:05:38
119 José Fernandes (Por) W52/Fc Porto 0:06:38
DNS Odd Christian Eiking (Nor) Wanty – Groupe Gobert

General Classification after Stage 1 :
1 André Greipel (Ger) Lotto Soudal 4:00:44
2 Caleb Ewan (Aus) Mitchelton – Scott 0:00:04
3 Fernando Gaviria Rendon (Col) Quick – Step Floors 0:00:06
4 Gabriel Cullaigh (GBr) Team Wiggins 0:00:10
5 Jurgen Roelandts (Bel) Bmc Racing Team
6 Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
7 Ethan Hayter (GBr) Great Britain
8 Paolo Simion (Ita) Bardiani Csf
9 Vincenzo Albanese (Ita) Bardiani Csf
10 Wout Poels (Ned) Team Sky
11 Romain Cardis (Fra) Direct Energie
12 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Team Ef Education First – Drapac P/B Cannondale
13 Edward Theuns (Bel) Team Sunweb
14 Jasha Sütterlin (Ger) Movistar Team
15 Scott Thwaites (GBr) Team Dimension Data
16 Ben Swift (GBr) Great Britain
17 Rick Zabel (Ger) Team Katusha Alpecin
18 Carlos Barbero (Spa) Movistar Team
19 Joseph Nally (GBr) Great Britain
20 Emils Liepins (Lat) One Pro Cycling
21 Alex Dowsett (GBr) Team Katusha Alpecin
22 Koen Bouwman (Ned) Team Lotto Nl – Jumbo
23 Jos Van Emden (Ned) Team Lotto Nl – Jumbo
24 Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal
25 Nils Politt (Ger) Team Katusha Alpecin
26 Dion Smith (NZl) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
27 Xandro Meurisse (Bel) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
28 José Rojas (Spa) Movistar Team
29 Mark Renshaw (Aus) Team Dimension Data
30 Thomas Stewart (GBr) Jlt Condor
31 Pascal Eenkhoorn (Ned) Team Lotto Nl – Jumbo
32 Lennard Hofstede (Ned) Team Sunweb
33 Patrick Bevin (NZl) Bmc Racing Team
34 Enrico Barbin (Ita) Bardiani Csf
35 Sylvain Chavanel (Fra) Direct Energie
36 Jay Robert Thomson (RSA) Team Dimension Data
37 Taylor Phinney (USA) Team Ef Education First – Drapac P/B Cannondale
38 Jonathan Mould (GBr) Jlt Condor
39 Thomas Pidcock (GBr) Team Wiggins
40 Ruben Fernandez (Spa) Movistar Team
41 Matthew Holmes (GBr) Madison Genesis
42 Neilson Powless (USA) Team Lotto Nl – Jumbo
43 Stefan Küng (Swi) Bmc Racing Team
44 Fred Wright (GBr)
45 Christopher Hamilton (Aus) Team Sunweb
46 Maximilian Stedman (GBr) Canyon Eisberg
47 Dmitrii Strakhov (Rus) Lokosphinx
48 Bob Jungels (Lux) Quick – Step Floors
49 Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Soudal
50 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Quick – Step Floors
51 Matti Breschel (Den) Team Ef Education First – Drapac P/B Cannondale
52 Hugh John Carthy (GBr) Team Ef Education First – Drapac P/B Cannondale
53 Ryan Christensen (NZl) Canyon Eisberg
54 Nils Eekhoff (Ned) Development Team Sunweb
55 Matthew Teggart (Irl) Team Wiggins
56 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) Bmc Racing Team
57 Mads Schmidt Würtz (Den) Team Katusha Alpecin
58 Paul Ourselin (Fra) Direct Energie
59 Scott Davies (GBr) Team Dimension Data
60 Edmund Bradbury (GBr) Jlt Condor
61 Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Movistar Team
62 Andrew Tennant (GBr) Canyon Eisberg
63 Victor De La Parte (Spa) Movistar Team
64 Chris Froome (GBr) Team Sky
65 Tony Martin (Ger) Team Katusha Alpecin
66 Tejay Van Garderen (USA) Bmc Racing Team
67 Daniel Mclay (GBr) Team Ef Education First – Drapac P/B Cannondale
68 Hayden Mccormick (NZl) One Pro Cycling
69 Giovanni Carboni (Ita) Bardiani Csf
70 Maximiliano Ariel Richeze (Arg) Quick – Step Floors
71 Maarten Wynants (Bel) Team Lotto Nl – Jumbo
72 Alessandro Tonelli (Ita) Bardiani Csf
73 Maximilian Schachmann (Ger) Quick – Step Floors
74 Simone Antonini (Ita) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
75 Cameron Meyer (Aus) Mitchelton – Scott
76 Miles Scotson (Aus) Bmc Racing Team
77 Geraint Thomas (GBr) Team Sky
78 Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Lotto Soudal
79 Mikel Nieve Iturralde (Spa) Mitchelton – Scott
80 Mark Mcnally (GBr) Wanty – Groupe Gobert
81 Stephen Williams (GBr) Great Britain
82 Primož Roglic (Slo) Team Lotto Nl – Jumbo
83 Joey Walker (GBr) Team Wiggins
84 Alistair Slater (GBr) Jlt Condor
85 Moreno Hofland (Ned) Lotto Soudal
86 Angelo Tulik (Fra) Direct Energie
87 James Oram (NZl) One Pro Cycling
88 Vasil Kiryienka (Blr) Team Sky
89 Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Direct Energie
90 Rob Power (Aus) Mitchelton – Scott
91 Jaco Venter (RSA) Team Dimension Data
92 James Shaw (GBr) Lotto Soudal 0:00:35
93 Connor Swift (GBr) Madison Genesis 0:01:03
94 Roger Kluge (Ger) Mitchelton – Scott
95 Andrea Guardini (Ita) Bardiani Csf 0:02:36
96 Thomas Baylis (GBr) One Pro Cycling
97 Christopher Latham (GBr) One Pro Cycling
98 Phil Bauhaus (Ger) Team Sunweb
99 Alexandre Pichot (Fra) Direct Energie
100 George Pym (GBr) Madison Genesis
101 Thomas Moses (GBr) Jlt Condor 0:04:01
102 Lukasz Wisniowski (Pol) Team Sky 0:04:05
103 Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Sky
104 Alex Paton (GBr) Canyon Eisberg
105 Dexter Gardias (GBr) Canyon Eisberg
106 Nicholas Dlamini (RSA) Team Dimension Data
107 Peter Williams (GBr) One Pro Cycling
108 James Fouche (NZl) Team Wiggins
109 Louis Vervaeke (Bel) Team Sunweb
110 Matthew Bostock (GBr) Great Britain 0:04:50
111 Rory Townsend (GBr) Canyon Eisberg 0:04:53
112 Richard Handley (GBr) Madison Genesis 0:04:55
113 Mark Downey (Irl) Team Wiggins 0:04:56
114 Erick Rowsell (GBr) Madison Genesis 0:04:57
115 Iljo Keisse (Bel) Quick – Step Floors
116 Jonathan Mcevoy (GBr) Madison Genesis
117 Lucas Hamilton (Aus) Mitchelton – Scott
118 Graham Briggs (GBr) Jlt Condor 0:05:48
119 José Fernandes (Por) W52/Fc Porto