The Italian Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers team) did not give an option in the 7.1 km prologue that opened the Tour La Provence and imposed his status as favorite with a clear victory riding at an average of 53.4 km/h unbeatable for his rivals, in a section that the Ecuadorian Richard Carapaz marked a difference of 38 seconds with respect to the winnerYour partner.
Ganna, double world time trial champion, recorded a time of 8:04 minutes on the route from and to Berre-L’Etang, beating his British Ineos teammate Ethan Hayter (2nd), national champion, by 12 seconds of the modality, and in 13 to the Swedish Groupama Tobias Ludvigsson (3rd).
Among the favorites was the double world champion on the road, Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe (Quick Step), sixth, 17 seconds behind the winner. Regarding the French cyclist, the Spanish Gorka Izagirre (Movistar), left 13 seconds and the Colombian Nairo Quintana (Arke samsic) 14. Meanwhile, the registry of the tricolor Carapaz placed him in position 53.
The defender of the title, the Colombian Iván Ramiro Sosa (Movistar), did not have the best possible start and left 37 seconds with respect to Alaphilippe.
The first great reference was marked by the triple Swedish national champion Ludvigsson, with 8:17 minutes, at 52 kilometers per hour, but the great favorites were yet to come out. Hayter lived up to expectations and beat the previous mark by a single second.
Carapaz returns with the Tour de la Provence
Ganna’s departure immediately cleared doubts. His powerful rhythm, his prodigious pedaling allowed him to achieve a winning rhythm, which was reflected at the finish line with his record of 8:04.
It was the second victory of the season for the rider from Verbania, after the one he signed in the 10 km time trial at the recent Estrella de Bességes.
There were no big differences between the general favorites, although Alaphilippe took the first lead over his rivals. Ivan Sosa yielded 37 seconds, nothing definitivebut that forces him to come back before the mountain stages of the weekend, where the race will be decided.
On Friday, the first stage in line will take the peloton from Istres to les Saintes Maries de la Mer, with a flat route of 151.8 km, only altered at the beginning by the climb to Col de la Vayède (2.5 km to 4 %). Appointment for sprinters. (D)
Source: Eluniverso
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