Elia Viviani outsprints the pack in wind-blown stage one of Tour de la Provence
The Ineos Grenadiers rider took his first victory since returning to the team
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

Elia Viviani (Ineos Grenadiers) won his first race of the season in a dramatic sprint on stage one of the Tour de la Provence.
The Italian made it back-to-back wins for Ineos Grenadiers, outsprinting Sep Vanmarcke (Israel-Premier Tech) and Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) in a fast finish into Les Saintes-Maries-de-La-Mer.
The stage, which was torn apart by crosswinds early on, was commanded by the ever-present Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers), whose team took control for their sprinter.
Having won Thursday’s prologue time trial, Ganna maintained the lead of the race with four seconds over Julian Alaphilippe.
How it happened
Stage one’s 151.8km route would see the peloton roll north out of Istres, before turning west through the historic city of Arles and down to the Mediterannan coast. With a total of just 424m to be climbed, it seemed a certainty the race would finish in a bunch sprint in Les Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer.
The fight for the breakaway started almost immediately after the flag drop. Having initially missed the move, St-Michel-Auber 93’s Stéphane Rosetto joined the group composed of Pierre Rolland (B&B Hôtels-KTM), Tom Mainguenaud (Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Métropole), Viktor Verschaeve (Lotto Soudal), Tristan Delacroix and Jean Goubert (Nice Métropole Côte d'Azur).
Most of the day’s vertical metres came early in the stage on the Col de la Vayède, a category three climb pitched at a steady 3.7 per cent average gradient. The six-man breakaway hit the bottom of the climb with an advantage of over four minutes on the peloton.
Mainguenaud claimed maximum points at the top to take the lead in the mountains classification and secure the polka dot jersey for stage two.
As the peloton hurtled south towards the coast, the region’s infamous wind gusts threatened to split the pack into echelons.
With 83km to go, Mother Nature took control. Fierce crosswinds laid waste to the peloton, scattering the riders across the wide, open roads. Movistar’s Gorka Izagirre, winner of the 2019 edition of the race, was forced to abandon after coming down in the chaos.
Julian Alaphilippe, Nairo Quintana (Arkéa-Samsic) and Richard Carapaz (Ineos Grenadiers) all made the front group, marshalled by the race leader Filippo Ganna. The Italian set an infernal pace and reeled in the early escapees with 75km remaining.
Three passes over the finish line in Les-Saintes-Maries-de-La-Mer gave the sprinters who made the split a chance to scout out the course. Alaphilippe, in his first outing in the rainbow bands this year, took both intermediate sprints, earning himself six seconds in time bonuses and the lead of the points classification.
Inside 8km of the finish, Maciej Bodnar (Total Energies) took off. The seven-time Polish time trial champion established a seven-second gap on the bunch but soon saw his attack quashed by Ganna.
The group then swung left onto the finishing straight where, with 100m to go, Viviani unleashed an explosive sprint. The speed of the former European champion couldn’t be matched by Vanmarcke and Alaphilippe who rounded off the podium.
Ganna will continue to wear the leader's jersey on stage two (the third of this four-day race) which finishes in Manosque on Saturday.
Results
Tour de la Provence 2022, stage one: Istres to Les Saintes-Maries-de-La-Mer (151.8km)
1. Elia Viviani (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers, 4-02-23
2. Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Israel-Premier Tech, s.t.
3. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, s.t.
4. Martijn Tusveld (Ned) Team DSM, s.t.
5. Samuele Battistella (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan, s.t.
6. Cedric Beullens (Bel) Lotto-Soudal, s.t.
7. Mattias Skjelmose Jensen (Den) Trek-Segafredo, s.t.
8. Pierre Latour (Fra) Total Energies, s.t.
9. Matteo Jorgensen (USA) Movistar, s.t.
10. Ilan Van Wilder (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, s.t.
General classification after stage one
1. Filippo Ganna (Ita) Ineos Grenadiers, 3-26-06
2. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, at 4s
3. Pierre Latour (Fra) Total Energies, at 10s
4. Samuele Battistella (Ita) Astana Qazaqstan, at 12s
5. Ilan Van Wilder (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, at 17s
6. Mattias Skjelmose Jensen (Den) Trek-Segafredo, at 21s
7. Matteo Jorgensen (USA) Movistar, at 21s
8. Louis Vervaeke (Bel) Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl, at 21s
9. Sep Vanmarcke (Bel) Israel-Premier Tech, at 22s
10. Maxime Bouet (Fra) Arkéa-Samsic, at 23s
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
Tom is one of Cycling Weekly's news and features writers. In 2020, he started The TT Podcast, covering both the men's and women's pelotons and featuring a number of British riders.
An enthusiastic cyclist himself, Tom likes it most when the road goes uphill and actively seeks out double-figure gradients on his rides.
He's also fluent in French and Spanish and holds a master's degree in International Journalism.
-
-
'It's the ultimate drop bar bike' - Mosaic Cycles introduces new RT-1 model
Mosaic, the builders of custom titanium dream bikes, today unveiled a "sleeker, more capable" version of its flagship road racer, the RT-1
By Anne-Marije Rook • Published
-
Cannondale Topstone loses 160g with new Lab71 edition
American bike brand gives its flagship gravel bike the high-end carbon treatment
By Vern Pitt • Published
-
Tom Pidcock: 'It won’t be difficult to beat my 2022 Classics results'
Ineos Grenadiers' multi-format star ready for central role in one-day racing this Spring
By Adam Becket • Published
-
No Egan Bernal at Paris-Nice as knee injury disrupts season
Former Tour de France champion "OK" but return is unknown at the moment
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Global backers in talks over new British WorldTour team
Former management of Ribble Weldtite courting interest in new project
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
'I remember the crowds more than anything': Tom Pidcock recalls his Alpe d'Huez Tour de France stage win
Our male rider of the year, Tom Pidcock, talks us through the highs and lows of his 2022 campaign
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Leo Hayter, Cycling Weekly's rising star of 2022, talks through his season in the spotlight
We caught up with the winner of the "Baby Giro" to hear all about the win in Italy and his dream move to Ineos Grenadiers
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
Ineos Grenadiers release 'visibly fast' 2023 jersey
Navy is replaced with red as British team changes its look
By Adam Becket • Published
-
Where next for Mark Cavendish after B & B Hotels-KTM's collapse?
We look at where the ‘Manx Missile’ could find himself next after the collapse of B & B Hotels-KTM
By Tom Thewlis • Published
-
‘It’s a good thing and shows progression of the sport’ - Ben Swift hails changes at British Cycling academy
Ineos Grenadier says putting academy riders in with development teams will encourage development of many skills
By Tom Thewlis • Published