Eneco Tour (st. 1)

Rojas, Ventoso get close to top-ten finishes at bunch sprint, preceeded by late attack from Renshaw (BEL) to Eneco Tour leader's jersey in Ardooie

There were no major incidents in the opening stage of the 9th Eneco Tour (WorldTour), held on Monday over 175 kilometers on the Belgian flatlands from Koksijde to Ardooie. The squad directed by Chente García Acosta and José Luis Laguía came across to the first sheet of the classification with Fran Ventoso (11th) and José Joaquín Rojas (14th), as Aussie Mark Renshaw (BEL) took a ‘finisseur’ action to fruition, favoured by several turns into the final kilometer.

Small splits into the bunch with 10k remaining after a move from Orica-GreenEdge only caused some tension into the bunch, expected to hold four mass sprints before the 13k individual time trial in Sittard-Geleen on Friday. Before that, the most complicated stage for the fastmen will come tomorrow, with two climbs -Alsemberg and Bruine Put- in the final run to the finish in the ‘Vorst’ of Brussels (176km.)