Fernando Gaviria (Quick-Step Floors) won the bunch sprint on stage one of the Volta ao Algarve, comfortably beating André Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) and Nacer Bouhani (Cofidis) in southern Portugal.
The Colombian sprinter has great form already this season, taking two stage wins at the Vuelta a San Juan, and showed a fast finish once again to take a comprehensive stage win in Lagos.
A chaotic final few kilometres saw no one team able to control the front of the peloton, and for a few seconds it even looked as if Gaviria's lead-out man Maximiliano Richeze might take the stage win after jumping early around Bouhanni's Cofidis lead-out train.
Richeze didn't quite have the legs to pull off a surprise victory, but Gaviria was decisive in opening his sprint a moment before Bouhanni to take the stage win by a bike length ahead of Greipel.
>>> Fernando Gaviria's new landlord Alessandro Petacchi says Colombian is 'new Peter Sagan'
The break of the day consisted of five riders who escaped within the first three kilometres: Christoph Pfingsten (Bora-Hansgrohe), Justin Oien (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Brian van Goethem (Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij) and João Benta (Radio Popular-Boavista).
The escapees quickly built up a gap of more than six minutes, sharing the early intermediate sprint points and KOM points between them.
However the stage was set for a bunch sprint, with the break being caught by what looked like a fairly relaxed peloton with 26km remaining.
>>> Fernando Gaviria vs Caleb Ewan: The future of spriting?
From that point on it was the sprinters's teams that took control, with the pace steadily being ramped up as Bora-Hansgrohe, FDJ, Cofidis, Lotto-Soudal, and even Continental outfit Rally Cycling battled it out at the front.
Into the final five kilometres and the front of the peloton was still very fluid, with no one team able to take control as the race was split in half by substantial road furniture down the middle of the road.
A chaotic finish saw Gaviria's team-mate Maximiliano Richeze jump early with 400m to go, as Gaviria bided his time before coming around Bouhanni to take the stage win.
Results
Volta ao Algarve 2017, stage one: Albufeira to Lagos, 182.9km
1. Fernando Gaviria (Col) Quick-Step Floors, in 4-28-31
2. André Greipel (Ger) Lotto-Soudal
3. Nacer Bouhanni (Fra) Cofidis
4. Dylan Groenewegen (Ned) Team LottoNL-Jumbo
5. John Degenkolb (Ger) Trek-Segafredo
6. Baptise Planckaert (Bel) Katusha-Alpecin
7. Matteo Trentin (Ita) Quick-Step Floors
8. Andrea Pasqualon (Ita) Wanty-Groupe Gobert
9. Lukasz Wisniowski (Pol) Team Sky
10. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Dimension Data, all same time
Thank you for reading 10 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
-
-
Academics pen rebuttal to trans women in sport report - Fierce global debate raises complex issues of fairness vs inclusion
When it comes to the issue of inclusion and fairness in sport, the academic and scientific communities find themselves divided
-
CW Live: Marianne Vos to miss cyclocross World Championships; Full list of teams for Paris-Roubaix and Paris-Roubaix Femmes confirmed; David Gaudu issues apology for Demare remarks; cycling charity facing eviction; Liège–Bastogne–Liège route adjusted
All the news you need to know in the world of cycling
-
Sam Bennett sprints to stage one victory at Volta ao Algarve 2021 after yet another perfect lead-out
Sam Bennett took the opening stage of the Volta ao Algarve 2021 after his team nailed the timing of the lead-out yet again for their star fast man beating Danny Van Poppel and Jon Aberasturi.
-
Volta ao Algarve 2021 postponed due to coronavirus
The 2021 Volta ao Algarve has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
-
'I'm not in my best shape yet': Remco Evenepoel obliterates stage five time trial to seal Volta ao Algarve victory
The young Belgian impressed once again as he takes the biggest stage race win of his career so far
-
Miguel Ángel López takes stage four win as Remco Evenepoel closes in on GC at Volta ao Algarve
The young Belgian has just an individual time trial between him and his second overall victory of the season
-
Cees Bol overpowers Quick-Step with huge sprint on stage three of the Volta ao Algarve 2020
Cees Bol was the first rider to deny Quick-Step in the Volta ao Algarve as he took stage three with a stunning sprint.
-
Remco Evenepoel dedicates Algarve stage win to fellow Belgian rider whose son died last week
Remco Evenepoel dedicated his Volta ao Algarve stage victory to a fellow Belgian rider whose son died last week.
-
Remco Evenepoel stuns rivals with summit finish victory on stage two of the Volta ao Algarve 2020
The 20-year-old sets himself up for a second overall race victory already this year
-
Fabio Jakobsen pushes past Elia Viviani to take stage one of the Volta ao Algarve 2020
Youth trumped experience in the Volta ao Algarve 2020 as Fabio Jakobsen pushed past Elia Viviani to take stage one.
