An Post-Sean Kelly’s Lithuanian strongman Gediminas Bagdonas has finished best of the team in the opening stage of the five-day Étoile de Bessèges in the south of France today.
Last year’s An Post Ras winner was unlucky to be just about edged out of the top ten, finishing 11th in the bunch sprint into Bellegarde after 148km of fast racing over a flat course but in breezy conditions.
Mark McNally was one of many fallers today but while he complained of feeling the effects after the race he managed to get back on and finish in the main bunch. Ronan McLaughlin also finished in the main peloton, which contained six of the eight An Post riders in the race.
The other Irish rider in action for the team in France, Sean Downey found the going slightly tougher in what was only his second outing at this level. He finished in a group just over three minutes back.
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While there were no climbs today and just two sprint primes, Downey and Ronan reported a very fast and crash filled stage. The breeze was the most decisive factor but it came down to a bunch gallop after the early break was reeled in.
Frenchman Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ-Big Mat) took the bunch finish from German’s sprint sensation Marcel Kittel (Project 1t4i).
Tomorrow’s second stage is a slightly lumpier run into Saint-Ambroix, with two second category climbs in the early part of the 150km stage.
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Feb 1st-5th Étoile de Bessèges
RESULT: Stage 1: Beaucaire – Bellegarde 148km
1 Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) FDJ - Big Mat 3:30:25
2 Marcel Kittel (Ger) Project 1t4i
3 Bobbie Traksel (Ned) Landbouwkrediet
4 Jean-Pierre Drucker (Lux) Accent Jobs - Willems Veranda`s
5 Kris Boeckmans (Bel) Vacansoleil - DCM Pro Cycling Team
6 Samuel Dumoulin (Fra) Cofidis Le Crédit en Ligne
7 Jure Kocjan (Slo) Team Type 1 - Sanofi
8 Yannick Martinez (Fra) Club La Pomme Marseille
11 Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) An Post - Sean Kelly
23 Kenneth Vanbilsen (Bel) An Post - Sean Kelly
38 Niko Eeckhout (Bel) An Post - Sean Kelly
65 Pieter Ghyllebert (Bel) An Post - Sean Kelly
88 Ronan Mc Laughlin (Irl) An Post - Sean Kelly
121 Mark Mcnally (GBr) An Post - Sean Kelly all same time
129 Sean Patrick Downey (Irl) An Post - Sean Kelly at 3:12
136 Stijn Ennekens (Bel) An Post - Sean Kelly 10:09
General classification after stage 1
1 Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) FDJ - Big Mat 3:30:15
2 Bobbie Traksel (Ned) Landbouwkrediet 0:00:03
3 Marcel Kittel (Ger) Project 1t4i 0:00:04
4 Jelle Wallays (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator 0:00:07
5 Anthony Ravard (Fra) AG2R la Mondiale 0:00:08
6 Koen Barbe (Bel) Landbouwkrediet
7 Björn Leukemans (Bel) Vacansoleil - DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:00:09
8 Adrien Petit (Fra) Cofidis Le Crédit en Ligne
15 Gediminas Bagdonas (Ltu) An Post - Sean Kelly at 10secs
27 Kenneth Vanbilsen (Bel) An Post - Sean Kelly
40 Niko Eeckhout (Bel) An Post - Sean Kelly
65 Pieter Ghyllebert (Bel) An Post - Sean Kelly
88 Ronan Mc Laughlin (Irl) An Post - Sean Kelly
121 Mark Mcnally (GBr) An Post - Sean Kelly
129 Sean Patrick Downey (Irl) An Post - Sean Kelly at 3:22
136 Stijn Ennekens (Bel) An Post - Sean Kelly at 10:19
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