Vertiginous start in Amersfoort
08 August 2011

American Phinney (BMC) leads Eneco Tour after a breathtaking 5k prologue in which Kiryienka was best Movistar Team finisher in the opening of the Benelux race Vasil Kiryienka (17th) was the best finisher from Movistar Team in the 5.7k prologue that opened the 7th Eneco Tour in Dutch Amersfoort, the World Tour race being hosted until Sunday. The rider from Belarus was just 12 seconds off the pace of the day's winner, American Taylor Phinney, who went over 50 kph average in a route full of turns to show the strength that took him to the win in the U23 World Championships time trial last year. The American took seven seconds on his nearest pursuer Boasson Hagen (SKY), which gives more value to Kiryienka's time as the Eastern powerhouse will have another chance to profit from his timetrialling abilities in the 14k ITT around Genk on Friday. Before that, two mainly flat stages will preceed a typically Ardennes stages; the first one on Tuesday will cover 192 kilometers from Oosterhout to Sint Willebrord, always on Dutch soil.