In a race he's won before and is normally decided by tiny margins, Dan Martin today goes head to head with cousin Nicolas Roche for the seconds that may decide Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. Roche is the second Team Sky ricder from left, 2nd over the prime line. Martin is on the far right, 3rd over the line.
Dan Martin and Nicolas Roche have grabbed precious seconds on their rivals on the opening stage of the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya today.
The Irish men are at the head of affairs at the first sprint point after 21km on the 185km stage which started and finished in Callela and including a cat 1 ascent.
Roche’s Team Sky were clearly out to frustrate Martin, who is the best sprinter by a considerably margin of the world class climbers in the field.
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Dave Brailsford’s men wanted to ensure Martin did not pick up the maximum three seconds bonus on offer.
They may count later in the race when the Irish man riding for Cannondale-Garmin squares up against Team Sky leader Chris Froome for the overall win, which Martin captured two years ago.
Wouter Poels and Roche took the first and second in the sprint with Martin in 3rd place. It meant Roche grabbed a two second bonus and Martin one second.
That would leave them 5th and 6th overall at the conclusion of the stage. Roche is 5th, some 2:48 behind stage winner and race leader Maciej Paterski (CCC Sprandi Polkowice), with Martin 6th a further second back.
Roche and the rest of Team Sky were clearly trying to limit any time bonus gains by Dan Martin in the sprints today.
Paterski triumphed after he went clear in a three-man move that also featured Bart de Clerq (Lotto-Soudal) and Pierre Rolland (Europcar).
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They went clear in the second hour of racing and built a lead that reached 14 minutes.
And while he would tumble to just under three minutes on the line, dithering by the teams of the sprinters and overall contenders ensure the field left it far too late to close them down, despite late in the day efforts by Team Sky from the 50km to go marker.
Paterski beat Rolland in the sprint for victory, with De Clercq just two further seconds back.
Some 2:40 would elapse between the winner crossing the line and Tosh Van Der Sande of Lotto-Soudal won the sprint for 4th from the peloton containing all of the main favourites.
With just one really testing stage to come – on day 4 when there is a summit finish up to La Molina – the three breakaway men from today have a great chance of overall success.
Tomorrow’s stage is a 192km mainly flat run, but there is a steep climb of almost one mile some 11km from the finish where Martin, who needs to gain time now, may take off.
Stage 1: Volta Ciclista a Catalunya
1 Maciej Paterski (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 4:33:41
2 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar
3 Bart De Clercq (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:00:02
4 Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:02:40
5 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx - Quick-Step
6 Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Astana Pro Team
7 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Wanty - Groupe Gobert
8 Bryan Coquard (Fra) Team Europcar
9 Carlos Barbero Cuesta (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
10 Julien Simon (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
11 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky
12 Greg Henderson (NZl) Lotto Soudal
13 Petr Vakoc (Cze) Etixx - Quick-Step
14 Kévin Reza (Fra) FDJ.fr
15 Jose Joaquin Rojas (Spa) Movistar Team
75 Daniel Martin (Irl) Cannondale-Garmin
108 Nicolas Roche (Irl) Team Sky all same time
General Classification
1 Maciej Paterski (Pol) CCC Sprandi Polkowice 4:33:31
2 Pierre Rolland (Fra) Team Europcar 0:00:04
3 Bart De Clercq (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:00:08
4 Wouter Poels (Ned) Team Sky 0:02:47
5 Nicolas Roche (Irl) Team Sky 0:02:48
6 Daniel Martin (Irl) Cannondale-Garmin 0:02:49
7 Tosh Van Der Sande (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:02:50
8 Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Etixx - Quick-Step
9 Paolo Tiralongo (Ita) Astana Pro Team
10 Enrico Gasparotto (Ita) Wanty - Groupe Gobert
11 Bryan Coquard (Fra) Team Europcar
12 Carlos Barbero Cuesta (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
13 Julien Simon (Fra) Cofidis, Solutions Credits
14 Christopher Froome (GBr) Team Sky
15 Greg Henderson (NZl) Lotto Soudal
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