Tour of Sicily 2021 – Stage 1 [FULL STAGE]

September 28, 2021

Tour of Sicily 2021 – Stage 1 – Avola – Licata : 179 km

The Giro di Sicilia is a four-day stage race held entirely on, you guessed it, Sicily – an island in the Mediterranean Sea just south of Italy. The race is one of the oldest on the cycling calendar, having hosted its first edition way back in 1907. Despite being so old, the race has only run 24 times and has experienced a number of long hiatuses. The longest of these was between 1977 and 2019. In 2019 the race was revived, and assigned a 2.1 rating by the UCI, placing it firmly alongside other third tier stage races. Since being revived the Giro di Sicilia has only hosted one edition, but it’s back this year and promises to be bigger and better than ever. This year’s race will follow a slightly different route, with four unpredictable medium-mountain stages that’ll suit the all-rounders.

Juan Sebastián Molano (UAE Team Emirates) caught late attacker Vincenzo Albanese (Eolo-Kometa) just before the line to win the opening 179km stage of the Giro di Sicilia in Licata.

Albanese surged clear with 1.5km to go and opened a gap in the twisting city streets. UAE Team Emirates lead the chase with experienced lead-out man Maximiliano Richeze perfectly piloting Molano so he could jump cross to and then pass Albanese on the line.

Thanks to his win, Molano is the first leader of the end of season four-day stage race and pulled on the red and yellow leader’s jersey. Time bonuses mean Albanese is second overall at four seconds, with Richeze third overall at six seconds.

“The team was spectacular. They controlled the stage all day, and in the end it was a final that suited me and Maxi very well. In the final kilometre, Maxi and I knew there was an attacker ahead. We were both very strong,” Molano explained.

“I dedicate this win to my team, my family and those who believe in me. It’s a victory that says that I was good at the Vuelta. I crashed in the Vuelta and I couldn’t finish it, but I didn’t let my head drop. Tomorrow suits me too, the climbs are perfect for me, I feel strong so I’ll try again tomorrow.”

The 179km stage started in Avola and crossed the south of Sicily via Noto, Scicli, Ragusa and Vittoria before heading to the coast for a fast ride to the finish. The stunning Baroque towns and villages recalled Sicily’s rich heritage and culture and were those used for the backdrop of the popular Inspector Montalbano television series.

The 28°C temperatures were perfect for a late summer holiday but the riders were keen to race from kilometre zero and the early break of the day formed rapidly with Charles-Etienne Chretien (Rally Cycling), Jacopo Cortese (MG.K Vis VPM) and Matteo Zurlo (Zalf Euromobil Fior) jumping away.

They had a 45-second gap after just 10km and the peloton let them push it to 8:15 after 60km. However, Trek-Segfredo and then UAE Team Emirates took up the chase and the climbs inland near Ragusa meant the break returned back under control.

Chretien was first to the top of the Ragusa climb to take the pistachio-coloured mountains jersey but the climbing cut into the break’s lead, reducing it to 3:45 with 75km to race.

The sprint teams sensed their chance on the gradual descent to the coast and UAE Team Emirates did much of the work, confident in Molano’s finishing speed.

Zurlo won the intermediate sprint in Gela with 35km to go and took off alone to try to hang onto a 2:00 lead. However a strong breeze was blowing across the coast and slowed his effort when the peloton gradually increased the chase. He was caught with 14km to create a gruppo compatto.

UAE Team Emirates, Trek-Segfredo, Movistar, Israel Start-Up Nation were careful to stay up front to avoid any crashes and lead the peloton towards Licata. Albanese upset the lead out, with only UAE Team Emirates and Molano able to take back control before the finish line.

Results :
1 Juan Sebastian Molano Benavides (Col) UAE Team Emirates 4:37:21
2 Vincenzo Albanese (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
3 Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) UAE Team Emirates
4 Matteo Moschetti (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
5 Filippo Fiorelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
6 Jakub Mareczko (Ita) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
7 Andrea Guardini (Ita) Giotti Victoria Savini Due
8 Manuel Belletti (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
9 Francesco Di Felice (Ita) Mg.k Vis VPM
10 Jhonatan Restrepo Valencia (Col) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
11 Damiano Cima (Ita) Gazprom-RusVelo
12 Luca Colnaghi (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
13 Michele Gazzoli (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
14 David Gonzalez Lopez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
15 Kevin Vermaerke (USA) Team DSM
16 Simone Velasco (Ita) Gazprom-RusVelo
17 Mattia Frapporti (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
18 José Rojas (Spa) Movistar Team
19 Nicolas Nesi (Ita) D’Amico um Tools
20 Romain Bardet (Fra) Team DSM
21 Alberto Serrano Alvarez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
22 Guy Sagiv (Isr) Israel Start-up Nation
23 Omer Goldstein (Isr) Israel Start-up Nation
24 Iuri Filosi (Ita) Giotti Victoria Savini Due
25 Paolo Simion (Ita) Giotti Victoria Savini Due
26 Marco Tizza (Ita) Amore e Vita
27 Riccardo Verza (Ita) Zalf Euromobil Fior
28 Kristian Javier Yustre Rodriguez (Col) Giotti Victoria Savini Due
29 Paul Wright (NZl) Mg.k Vis VPM
30 Jokin Aranburu Arruti (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
31 Sergio Roman Martin Galan (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
32 Raul Colombo (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek
33 Alessio Martinelli (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
34 Giacomo Garavaglia (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek 0:00:37
35 Samuel Quaranta (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan 0:00:01
36 Luca Rastelli (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
37 Marco Brenner (Ger) Team DSM
38 Mattias Skjelmose (Den) Trek-Segafredo
39 Mattia Bais (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
40 Edward Ravasi (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
41 Alex Tolio (Ita) Zalf Euromobil Fior
42 Maksym Bilyi (Ukr) D’Amico um Tools
43 Davide Gabburo (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
44 Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team 0:00:01
45 Mark Christian (GBr) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
46 Federico Burchio (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek
47 Jefferson Cepeda (Ecu) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
48 Paul Double (GBr) Mg.k Vis VPM
49 Francesco Carollo (Ita) Mg.k Vis VPM
50 Emanuele Onesti (Ita) Giotti Victoria Savini Due
51 Thymen Arensman (Ned) Team DSM
52 Stefano Di Benedetto (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek 0:00:37
53 Simone Ravanelli (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec 0:00:01
54 Lorenzo Quartucci (Ita) D’Amico um Tools
55 Ben King (USA) Rally Cycling
56 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
57 Samuele Zambelli (Ita) Iseo-Rime-Carnovali
58 Orluis Alberto Aular Sanabria (Ven) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
59 Alessandro Covi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
60 Davide Appollonio (Ita) Amore e Vita
61 Francesco Zandri (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek
62 Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
63 Nathan Brown (USA) Rally Cycling
64 Giacomo Cassara (Ita) Amore e Vita
65 Davide Orrico (Ita) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
66 Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Israel Start-up Nation
67 Alvaro Cuadros Morata (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
68 Alessio Acco (Ita) Zalf Euromobil Fior
69 Emil Dima (Rom) Giotti Victoria Savini Due
70 Edoardo Faresin (Ita) Zalf Euromobil Fior
71 Cristian Scaroni (Ita) Gazprom-RusVelo
72 Unai Iribar Jauregi (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
73 Chris Froome (GBr) Israel Start-up Nation
74 Mikel Bizkarra Etxegibel (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
75 Giovanni Bortoluzzi (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek
76 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team
77 Mattia Benedetti (Ita) Amore e Vita
78 Asbjorn Hellemose (Den) Trek-Segafredo
79 Adriano Brogi (Ita) Giotti Victoria Savini Due
80 Abner González Rivera (PuR) Movistar Team
81 Stefano Gandin (Ita) Zalf Euromobil Fior
82 Daniel Muñoz Giraldo (Col) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
83 Antonio Nibali (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
84 Paolo Toto (Ita) Amore e Vita 0:00:52
85 Besnik Islami (Ita) D’Amico um Tools 0:00:01
86 Einer Rubio Reyes (Col) Movistar Team
87 Jhojan Garcia Susa (Col) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
88 Alessandro Tonelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
89 Niccolo Salvietti (Ita) Mg.k Vis VPM
90 Marco Frapporti (Ita) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
91 Charles-Etienne Chretien (Can) Rally Cycling
92 Mason Hollyman (GBr) Israel Start-up Nation
93 Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Team Emirates
94 Matteo Zurlo (Ita) Zalf Euromobil Fior
95 James Piccoli (Can) Israel Start-up Nation
96 Christopher Hamilton (Aus) Team DSM
97 Eric Paties Montagner (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek
98 Davide Villella (Ita) Movistar Team
99 Alessandro Monaco (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
100 Kamil Gradek (Pol) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
101 Gavin Mannion (USA) Rally Cycling
102 Cristian Camilo Muñoz Lancheros (Col) UAE Team Emirates
103 Johnatan Cañaveral Vargas (Col) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
104 Julen Amezqueta Moreno (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
105 Nikolay Cherkasov (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo
106 Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
107 Sergio Meris (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
108 Marc Soler (Spa) Movistar Team
109 Txomin Juaristi Arrieta (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
110 Joan Bou Company (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
111 Fabio Di Guglielmo (Ita) Mg.k Vis VPM
112 Florian Stork (Ger) Team DSM
113 Niklas Eg (Den) Trek-Segafredo
114 Keegan Swirbul (USA) Rally Cycling
115 Andreas Leknessund (Nor) Team DSM
116 David de la Cruz (Spa) UAE Team Emirates
117 Mikel Iturria Segurola (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
118 Antonio Pedrero (Spa) Movistar Team
119 Pavel Kochetkov (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo
120 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Gazprom-RusVelo
121 Ivan Rovny (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo
122 Iker Ballarin Manso (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
123 Nicola Plebani (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
124 Kyle Murphy (USA) Rally Cycling
125 Alastair Mackellar (Aus) Israel Start-up Nation
126 Joe Dombrowski (USA) UAE Team Emirates
127 Emerson Oronte (USA) Rally Cycling
128 Samuele Rivi (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
129 Jacopo Cortese (Ita) Mg.k Vis VPM
130 Simone Bevilacqua (Ita) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
131 Daniel Smarzaro (Ita) D’Amico um Tools
132 Enrico Zanoncello (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’ 0:00:31
133 Davide Persico (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan 0:13:30
DNF Riccardo Stacchiotti (Ita) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
DNF Gregorio Ferri (Ita) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
DNF Vladislav Zubar (Ukr) Amore e Vita
DNF Luca Roberti (Ita) D’Amico um Tools
DNF Daniel Nastasi (Ita) D’Amico um Tools

General Classification after Stage 1 :
1 Juan Sebastian Molano Benavides (Col) UAE Team Emirates 4:37:11
2 Vincenzo Albanese (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team 0:00:04
3 Maximiliano Richeze (Arg) UAE Team Emirates 0:00:06
4 Matteo Zurlo (Ita) Zalf Euromobil Fior 0:00:07
5 Charles-Etienne Chretien (Can) Rally Cycling 0:00:08
6 Davide Gabburo (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’ 0:00:09
7 Jacopo Cortese (Ita) Mg.k Vis VPM
8 Matteo Moschetti (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:00:10
9 Filippo Fiorelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
10 Jakub Mareczko (Ita) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
11 Andrea Guardini (Ita) Giotti Victoria Savini Due
12 Manuel Belletti (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
13 Francesco Di Felice (Ita) Mg.k Vis VPM
14 Jhonatan Restrepo Valencia (Col) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
15 Damiano Cima (Ita) Gazprom-RusVelo
16 Luca Colnaghi (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
17 Michele Gazzoli (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
18 David Gonzalez Lopez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
19 Kevin Vermaerke (USA) Team DSM
20 Simone Velasco (Ita) Gazprom-RusVelo
21 Mattia Frapporti (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
22 José Rojas (Spa) Movistar Team
23 Nicolas Nesi (Ita) D’Amico um Tools
24 Romain Bardet (Fra) Team DSM
25 Alberto Serrano Alvarez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
26 Guy Sagiv (Isr) Israel Start-up Nation
27 Omer Goldstein (Isr) Israel Start-up Nation
28 Iuri Filosi (Ita) Giotti Victoria Savini Due
29 Paolo Simion (Ita) Giotti Victoria Savini Due
30 Marco Tizza (Ita) Amore e Vita
31 Riccardo Verza (Ita) Zalf Euromobil Fior
32 Kristian Javier Yustre Rodriguez (Col) Giotti Victoria Savini Due
33 Paul Wright (NZl) Mg.k Vis VPM
34 Jokin Aranburu Arruti (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
35 Sergio Roman Martin Galan (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
36 Raul Colombo (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek
37 Alessio Martinelli (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
38 Samuel Quaranta (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
39 Luca Rastelli (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
40 Marco Brenner (Ger) Team DSM
41 Mattias Skjelmose (Den) Trek-Segafredo
42 Mattia Bais (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
43 Edward Ravasi (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
44 Alex Tolio (Ita) Zalf Euromobil Fior
45 Maksym Bilyi (Ukr) D’Amico um Tools
46 Lorenzo Fortunato (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
47 Mark Christian (GBr) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
48 Federico Burchio (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek
49 Jefferson Cepeda (Ecu) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
50 Paul Double (GBr) Mg.k Vis VPM
51 Francesco Carollo (Ita) Mg.k Vis VPM
52 Emanuele Onesti (Ita) Giotti Victoria Savini Due
53 Thymen Arensman (Ned) Team DSM
54 Simone Ravanelli (Ita) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
55 Lorenzo Quartucci (Ita) D’Amico um Tools
56 Ben King (USA) Rally Cycling
57 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
58 Samuele Zambelli (Ita) Iseo-Rime-Carnovali
59 Orluis Alberto Aular Sanabria (Ven) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
60 Alessandro Covi (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
61 Davide Appollonio (Ita) Amore e Vita
62 Francesco Zandri (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek
63 Jacopo Mosca (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
64 Nathan Brown (USA) Rally Cycling
65 Giacomo Cassara (Ita) Amore e Vita
66 Davide Orrico (Ita) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
67 Reto Hollenstein (Swi) Israel Start-up Nation
68 Alvaro Cuadros Morata (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
69 Alessio Acco (Ita) Zalf Euromobil Fior
70 Emil Dima (Rom) Giotti Victoria Savini Due
71 Edoardo Faresin (Ita) Zalf Euromobil Fior
72 Cristian Scaroni (Ita) Gazprom-RusVelo
73 Unai Iribar Jauregi (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
74 Chris Froome (GBr) Israel Start-up Nation
75 Mikel Bizkarra Etxegibel (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
76 Giovanni Bortoluzzi (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek
77 Alejandro Valverde (Spa) Movistar Team
78 Mattia Benedetti (Ita) Amore e Vita
79 Asbjorn Hellemose (Den) Trek-Segafredo
80 Adriano Brogi (Ita) Giotti Victoria Savini Due
81 Abner González Rivera (PuR) Movistar Team
82 Stefano Gandin (Ita) Zalf Euromobil Fior
83 Daniel Muñoz Giraldo (Col) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
84 Antonio Nibali (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
85 Besnik Islami (Ita) D’Amico um Tools
86 Einer Rubio Reyes (Col) Movistar Team
87 Jhojan Garcia Susa (Col) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
88 Alessandro Tonelli (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
89 Niccolo Salvietti (Ita) Mg.k Vis VPM
90 Marco Frapporti (Ita) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
91 Mason Hollyman (GBr) Israel Start-up Nation
92 Brandon McNulty (USA) UAE Team Emirates
93 James Piccoli (Can) Israel Start-up Nation
94 Christopher Hamilton (Aus) Team DSM
95 Eric Paties Montagner (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek
96 Davide Villella (Ita) Movistar Team
97 Alessandro Monaco (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
98 Kamil Gradek (Pol) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
99 Gavin Mannion (USA) Rally Cycling
100 Cristian Camilo Muñoz Lancheros (Col) UAE Team Emirates
101 Johnatan Cañaveral Vargas (Col) Bardiani CSF Faizane’
102 Julen Amezqueta Moreno (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
103 Nikolay Cherkasov (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo
104 Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) Androni Giocattoli-Sidermec
105 Sergio Meris (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
106 Marc Soler (Spa) Movistar Team
107 Txomin Juaristi Arrieta (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
108 Joan Bou Company (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
109 Fabio Di Guglielmo (Ita) Mg.k Vis VPM
110 Florian Stork (Ger) Team DSM
111 Niklas Eg (Den) Trek-Segafredo
112 Keegan Swirbul (USA) Rally Cycling
113 Andreas Leknessund (Nor) Team DSM
114 David de la Cruz (Spa) UAE Team Emirates
115 Mikel Iturria Segurola (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
116 Antonio Pedrero (Spa) Movistar Team
117 Pavel Kochetkov (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo
118 Roman Kreuziger (Cze) Gazprom-RusVelo
119 Ivan Rovny (Rus) Gazprom-RusVelo
120 Iker Ballarin Manso (Spa) Euskaltel-Euskadi
121 Nicola Plebani (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan
122 Kyle Murphy (USA) Rally Cycling
123 Alastair Mackellar (Aus) Israel Start-up Nation
124 Joe Dombrowski (USA) UAE Team Emirates
125 Emerson Oronte (USA) Rally Cycling
126 Samuele Rivi (Ita) Eolo-Kometa Cycling Team
127 Simone Bevilacqua (Ita) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
128 Daniel Smarzaro (Ita) D’Amico um Tools
129 Enrico Zanoncello (Ita) Bardiani CSF Faizane’ 0:00:40
130 Giacomo Garavaglia (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek 0:00:46
131 Stefano Di Benedetto (Ita) Work Service-Marchiol-Dynatek
132 Paolo Toto (Ita) Amore e Vita 0:01:01
133 Davide Persico (Ita) Team Colpack Ballan 0:13:39