Peter Sagan makes winning return to racing on Tour of Poland stage one
The world champion beat Caleb Ewan in the opening sprint finish to take the overall lead

The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for signing up to The Pick. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) won the opening stage of the Tour of Poland in a dominant sprint finish ahead of Caleb Ewan (Orica-Scott).
Behind them, Team Sky’s Danny Van Poppel edged out Riccardo Minali (Astana) for third.
The main contenders for the general classification, including Adam Yates (Orica-Scott), finished safely in the peloton.
Riding in his first race since being controversially kicked off the Tour de France earlier this month for dangerous sprinting, a newly shaven-headed world champion still looked in great shape as he defeated Ewan by half a bike-length.
Sagan will therefore tomorrow swap his rainbow stripes for the overall leader’s yellow jersey.
A wide finishing straight in the city of Krakow provided plenty of room for competing teams to organise their own trains, but ultimately it was a few riders from Gazprom-RusVelo that controlled the front of the race.
Without a lead-out man, Sagan emerged from behind these riders to kick to the front and fend off all other challenges.
Despite the wide roads, a crash took out a few riders in the finale that took out around half a dozen riders.
No rider appeared to be seriously hurt, and no GC contenders appeared to be caught up.
The pace in the peloton as the finish neared was high, but not high enough to deter some attacks. With 3km to go Daniel Oss (BMC) made a move which lasted 1km, when a Quick-Step Floors rider counter-attacked.
He, too, was caught, but with the finishing line less than 500 metres away.
Sagan rewarded his Bora-Hansgrohe team, who, along with Orica-Scott, did the lion’s share of the pace-setting in the peloton throughout the day.
It was Team Sunweb, however, who boasted the most impressive sprinters’ train. Understandably confident following their huge success at the Tour de France, they hit the front of the peloton with a large train of riders inside the final 20km, and, despite competition from other teams, remained organised and well-placed to set-up their designated sprinter Maximilian Walscheid.
However the young German could only manage eleventh.
A break of four spent most of the day off the front of the peloton, comprising of Pawel Bernas (Poland), Martijn Keizer (LottoNL-Jumbo), Maciej Paterski (CCC-Sprandi) and Charles Planet (Novo Nordisk).
Paterski and Keier broke clear with 34km to go on the climb of the Kaszow, but always seemed doomed fail.
Paterski put in a spirited effort, doing most of the work and at one point setting such a fierce pace that Keizer briefly lost his wheel. But both riders were eventually swallowed up by the peloton, first Keizer with 16km to go, then Paterski with 14.5km.
Keizer seemed more keen on taking the various sprints on offer throughout the day, claiming maximum points over both categorised climbs ahead of Paterski, and again out-sprinting his breakaway companion at the final intermediate sprint before sitting up and waiting for the bunch to catch him.
Results
Tour of Poland 2017, stage one: Krakow - Krakow (130km)
1. Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe, in 02-56-06
2. Caleb Ewan (Aus) Orica-Scott
3. Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Team Sky
4. Riccardo Minali (Ita) Astana
5. Niccolò Bonifazio (Ita) Bahrain-Merida
6. Nathan Haas (Aus) Dimension Data
7. Roberto Ferrari (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
8. Pawel Franczak (Pol) Poland
9. Boy Van Poppel (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
10. Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto-Soudal, all same time
General classification after stage one
1. Peter Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe, in 02-56-06
2. Caleb Ewan (Aus) Orica-Scott, at 4s
3. Danny Van Poppel (Ned) Team Sky, at 6s
4. Nathan Haas (Aus) Dimension Data, at 9s
5. Riccardo Minali (Ita) Astana, at 10s
6. Niccolò Bonifazio (Ita) Bahrain-Merida
7. Roberto Ferrari (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
8. Pawel Franczak (Pol) Poland
9. Boy Van Poppel (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
10. Jens Debusschere (Bel) Lotto-Soudal, all same time
Thank you for reading 20 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
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Stephen Puddicombe is a freelance journalist for Cycling Weekly, who regularly contributes to our World Tour racing coverage with race reports, news stories, interviews and features. Outside of cycling, he also enjoys writing about film and TV - but you won't find much of that content embedded into his CW articles.
-
-
Cycling keeps you fit but are you doing enough to stay healthy?
It’s possible to be very fit in one specific way, for example being fast on a bike, while being unhealthy in other ways
By Joe Laverick Published
-
Dr Hutch: Motor-doping isn't rife, there's no way cyclists would use it discreetly enough
Some fans think that motor-doping is rife, but Cycling Weekly's columnist Dr Hutch is having none of it
By Michael Hutchinson Published
-
In celebration of Peter Sagan, cycling's rock and roll frontman
As the three-time world champion is set to call time on his career in the WorldTour at the end of 2023, we thought we would take a look back at the glory days
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
After a 'frustrating' 2022, Sam Bennett targets green at the Tour de France again
Irish Bora-Hansgrohe sprinter laments missed opportunities in 2022 due to injuries and illness, but will try again next year
By Adam Becket Published
-
Wout van Aert moots building gravel world championships into 2023 programme
Belgian rider says gravel racing has a ‘great future’ as he considers worlds participation next year
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Peter Sagan to ride the UCI Gravel World Championships to ‘give back to the people’
‘I still have much more to give’ says Sagan on the decision to head to Italy for the competition
By Tom Thewlis Last updated
-
Peter Sagan has day to forget at E-MTB Worlds, crashing twice
The Slovakian came off his bike and finished in 16th
By Tom Davidson Published
-
‘Lesson one, never give up’: Ski mountaineer turned cyclist Anton Palzer on stepping out of his comfort zone
A film released by Red Bull depicts the German rider's journey from ski champion to professional rider
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Vuelta a España 2022: Sam Bennett makes it two in a row with win on stage three
Bora-Hansgrohe's Irish rider outsprints Mads Pedersen and Dan McLay in Breda, Edoardo Affini in red
By Adam Becket Published
-
Peter Sagan set to compete in the electric mountain bike World Championships
TotalEnergies rider will compete in competition in Les Gets, France in late-August
By Tom Thewlis Published