Irish rider Dean Harvey made his debut for his new UCI Continental team, Trinity Racing, on Thursday in Spain and immediately went on the attack, making the day's main breakaway.
The 19-year-old, crowned national cyclocross championships last month, got up the road on the opening stage of O Gran Camiño (2.1). On the 188km stage from Muralla de Lugo to Sarria the riders were battered by biblical conditions; the cold and wet giving way to snow that eventually resulted into the race being abandoned.
However, long before that unusual turn of events, Harvey have been active in the opening hour of racing and when the day's main breakaway got clear he was in it; clearly showing no fear on his first day in the pro bunch.
Also present in that move were: Gianni Moscon (Astana Qazaqstan), Joey Rosskopf (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team), Eric Antonio Fagundez (Burgos-BH), Alexander Konychev (Team Corratec), Sebastian Schönberger (Human Powered Health), Francesco Gavazzi (EOLO-Kometa), Jose Maria Garcia Soriano (Electro Hiper Europa) and Venceslau Fernandes (APHotels and Resorts-Tavira).
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With about 100km completed, the lead group had a three-minute advantage over the main field, headed for much of the day by Jumbo Visma. The Dutch team's line-up in this race includes Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard.
However, when the weather turned nastier - snow in freezing conditions - some of the breakaway began dropping back to the bunch. Harvey was among them and soon the breakaway numbered just three riders, Moscon and Schönberger two and Vincente Hernaiz (Radio Popular-Paredes-Boavista), who jumped across when the gap to them was closing, the third.
As the riders approached the final climb of the stage, Alto de Moltán, a decision was made to stop the race, mainly due to the fact the an 8km descent after the climb was judged too unsafe in such cold and snowy conditions.
And while the trio up front continued to ride for a time, even though it was clear in the peloton the race was over, everyone eventually came to a halt and a scramble for dry clothing began. The riders then turned around and rode back to the finish town, which they had already passed through.
The event features four sages, including an 18.1km individual TT in Santiago on Sunday to conclude. It continues tomorrow with an undulating 183km from Tui to A Guarda, featuring an uphill finish of Monte Trega.
