Carapaz makes first Blue outing
10 August 2016

Tour de l'Ain (st. 1)

Equatorian climber completes 150km opening stage of the Tour de l'Ain in Movistar Team Colours. Juanjo Lobato finishes 12th as Matteo Trentin (EQS) claims opening sprint in Saint-Vulbas

23-year-old Richard Carapaz opened his Movistar Team stay as trainee for the remainder of the season as he took the start of the Tour de l’Ain on Wednesday, over a fast, flat 149.6km route between La Plaine-Tonique and Saint-Vulbas. No time-significant troubles were suffered by the José Luis Laguía-led squad as Juanjo Lobato (12th) completed the best performance from the Blues into the day’s mass sprint. 

Geniez (FDJ), Voeckler (DEN) and Gérard (FVC) led the whole stage on the breakaway until the final 7km, with AG2R and Etixx-Quick Step subsequently leading the field to secure the bunch kick, where Italian Matteo Trentin prevailed ahead of Rudy Barbier (RLM). Thursday’s lumpy circuit (173km), around the Cat-3 Côte de Cossiat -41km from the finish in Montréal-la-Cluse- will be the first duel for climbers ahead of Friday and Saturday.

Results