Matt Teggart and Rory Townsend were both at the pointy end of the action at Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana in Spain today, the first race of the 2022 European road racing season.
However, while Teggart and a number of his new WiV SunGod team mates made the reduced front group after 175km of action, two late crashes messed up their chances of targeting a podium placing.
About 40 riders made that front group with Teggart the best finisher of his team, taking 18th place. The team was trying to set up its sprinter Matt Bostock for an attempt at victory, though a crash with about 3km to go derailed those efforts.
Teggart was leading the team's charge at that point and was fifth in line before the crash broke up the team's formation. There was then a second late crash, deep into the final kilometre, and from that three riders emerged clear of the rest.
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Giovanni Lonardi (EOLO-Kometa) took the victory from Amaury Capiot (Arkéa Samsic) and Chris Lawless (Total Energies), with Teggart 12th seconds back in 18th place.
His compatriot and team mate, Townsend, was in the early breakaway of 13 riders. He dropped back with about 120km remaining after the lead group split before all eventually being recaptured by the peloton. Townsend finished 84th at 3:52.
???Vincenzo Albanese (@EoloKometaTeam) se llevó la victoria en la Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana 2022 @vincenalban ??#ClassicaCV1969
?@sportpublictv pic.twitter.com/nvkpABnZh3— NotiCiclismo ▶ #VueltaalTachira2022 (@Noticiclismo1) January 23, 2022
