Volta ao Alentejo (st. 1)
Nocentini (SCP) outsprints Prades (CJR) and Spaniard from Movistar Team, 3rd into demanding, opening day on Portuguese soil, which sees Jaimerena / Laguía-led squad pushing hard all day to tear bunch apart before finish
Just under 30 riders were able to stand the hard pace by a very hard-working Movistar Team all over the 158km opening stage of the Volta ao Alentejo, the Portuguese race starting with a lumpy route towards Castelo de Vide. The telephone squad soon started to catch the numerous breaks forming up during the stage –the original escape took more than 10' after 40km in-, with Carapaz, Bico, Carretero and Pedrero pushing hard as Adriano Malori, still into recovery phase after his serious accident from last year, had to abandon around 90 kilometers from the end.
At the bunch kick, Rinaldo Nocentini (SCP) bested Eduard Prades (CJR) and Carlos Barbero, who continues to notably feature at Iberian sprint finishes following his 4th place in the Clasica Almería, two weeks ago. The man from Burgos, was the Blue representation into a field also including Andrey Amador, 8th, and Nelson Oliveira, only dropped back inside the last kilometer. Barbero will keep on searching for winning chances this week – starting with stage two to Portel (170km) – as winds and high speeds challenge the riders in an otherwise generous terrain.
Picture ©: Volta a Portugal