No risks at dangerous finish
09 February 2012

Tour of the Med - st. 1

Movistar Team avoids troubles at opening day in the Tour Méditerranéen, with Tiernan-Locke (Endura) as first leader with all Blues into the main field

The Tour Meditérranee, a UCI 2.1 four-day event on French soil, started today with a shortened 132k ride -three kilometers less than proposed- due to bad weather in the last few days, forcing the organisers to switch the proposed two Cat. 2 ascents for two other more generous Cat. 3 to avoid the ice on the route. In a stage with no real history, despite a long solo attempt by Frenchman Thomas Vaubourzeix (LPM), Brit Jon Tiernan-Locke (EDR) became the first leader after a late attack with 2k to go that allowed him winning with a small margin over the bunch, including all eight riders –Amador, Sanz, Madrazo, López, Konovalovas, Herrada, Quintana and Ventoso- from Movistar Team. The riders led by Yvon Ledanois chose not to contest the bunch sprint to avoid any troubles into a finale full of roundabouts and a crash into the final kilometer, and will search for their chances into the two flat stages for Friday -136k from Salon de Provence to Martigues- and Saturday, and above all, with the final ride to the Mont Faron on Sunday.