The Sports Examiner

CYCLING: Bernal and Quintana take 1-2 for Colombia in Paris-Nice

Another win coming for Colombian star climber (and Tour de France winner) Egan Bernal?

The famed Paris-Nice race has become a showcase for Colombia as Egon Bernal became the second Colombian winner in the last three years with a strong ride in the seventh stage on Saturday.

As it often does, the uphill finish to the Col de Turini proved decisive and it was a Colombian show. Daniel Felipe Martinez, 22, led Miguel Angel Lopez, 25, to a 1-2 finish, while further back were 2017 winner Sergio Henao (31) in eighth and Nairo Quintana (29) and Bernal, 22, in 13th and 14th place. The last two were 3:43 behind the stage winner, but with overall leader Michal Kwiatkowski (POL) 5:04 behind Martinez, that was enough to give Bernal the lead for good.

Quintana, who has been suffering from injuries the past couple of season, moved from third to second on the final stage as Belgium’s Philippe Gilbert fell back to 42nd on the final stage.

Much is expected of Bernal, and a win in Paris-Nice stamps him as one of the riders to watch in the major races of the season, including the Tour de France. It was his fifth World Tour win, but his first in a multi-stage race; he’s expected to ride in the Gito d’Italia in May. Summaries:

UCI World Tour/Paris-Nice
France ~ 10-17 March 2019
(Full results here)

Stage 1 (138.5 km): 1. Dylan Groenewegen (NED), 3:17:35; 2. Caleb Ewan (AUS), 3:17:35; 3. Fabio Jakobsen (NED), 3:17:35; 4. Sam Bennett (IRL), 3:17:35; 5. John Degenkolb (GER), 3:17:35.

Stage 2 (163.5 km): 1. Groenewegen (NED), 3:14:04; 2. Ivan Garcia Cortina (ESP), 3:14:04; 3. Philippe Gilbert (BEL), 3:14:04; 4. Matteo Trentin (ITA), 3:14:04; 5. Michal Kwiatkowski (POL), 3:14:04.

Stage 3 (200.0 km): 1. Bennett (IRL), 5:16:25; 2. Ewan (AUS), 5:16:25; 3. Fabio Jakobsen (NED), 5:16:25; 4. Daniel McLay (GBR), 5:16:25; 5. Bryan Coquard (FRA), 5:16:25.

Stage 4 (212.0 km): 1. Magnus Cort (DEN), 5:03:49; 2. Thomas de Gendt (BEL), 5:03:56; 3. Giulio Ciccone (ITA), 5:04:02; 4. Alessandro de Marchi (ITA), 5:04:07; 5. Lilian Calmejane (FRA), 5:04:37.

Stage 5 (25.5 km Individual Time Trial): 1. Simon Yates (GBR), 30:26; 2. Nils Politt (GER), 30:33; 3. Kwiatkowski (POL), 30:37; 4. Tejay van Garderen (USA), 30:41; 5. Daniel Felipe Martinez (COL), 30:41. Also in the top 25: 7. Lawson Craddock (USA), 30:41

Stage 6 (176.5 km): 1. Bennett (IRL), 4:12:35; 2. Arnaud Demare (FRA), 4:12:35; 3. Matteo Trentin (ITA), 4:12:35; 4. John Degenkolb (GER), 4:12:35; 5. Coquard (FRA), 4:12:35.

Stage 7 (181.5 km): 1. Martinez (COL), 4:55:49; 2. Miguel Angel Lopez (COL), 4:55:55; 3. Nicolas Edet (FRA), 4:56:09; 4. S. Yates (GBR), 4:56:09; 5. Jonathan Hivert (FRA), 4:56:44.

Stage 8 (110.0 km): 1. Ion Izagirre (ESP), 2:41:10; 2. Oliver Naesen (BEL), 2:41:28; 3. Wilco Keldermann (NED), 2:41:28; 4. Daniel Felipe Martinez (COL), 2:41:28; 5. Felix Grossschartner (AUT), 2:41:28. Also in the top 25: 9. Van Garderen (USA), 2:41:30.

Final Standings: 1. Egon Bernal (COL), 29:17:02; 2. Nairo Quintana (COL), +0:39; 3. Michal Kwiatkowski (POL), +1:03; 4. Jack Haig (AUS), +1:21; 5. Romain Bardet (FRA), +1:45. Also in the top 25: 19. Tejay van Garderen (USA), +12:31.

Tirreno-Adriatico: Adam Yates leads with two stages remaining

The famous race straight across Italy – between the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic coasts – will finish on Tuesday, with Britain’s Adam Yates, twin brother of Vuelta a Espana champ Simon Yates, in the lead.

The race has a superstar field, but Yates has been close to the front for all but one stage, finishing 1-5-29-3-2 in the five races so far. The final two stages are a climb and descent route on Monday and then an individual time trial on Tuesday.

Slovenia’s Primoz Roglic is currently second overall (+25), followed by Jakob Fuglsang (DEN: +35) and Dutch star Tom Dumoulin (NED: +1:55). If Dumoulin can get closer after Monday’s stage, he’s an outstanding time-trial rider and could challenge for a surprise win. Summaries so far:

Stage 1 (21.5 km Team Time Trial): 1. Mitchelton-Scott (AUS), 22:25; 2. Team Jumbo-Visma (NED), 22:32; 3. Team Subweb (GER), 22:47; 4. Deceuninck-Quick-Step (GER), 23:02; 5. Team Sky (GBR), 23:12.

Stage 2 (195.0 km): 1. Julian Alaphilippe (FRA), 4:48:09: 2. Greg van Avermaet (BEL), 4:48:09; 3. Alberto Bettiol (ITA), 4:48:09; 4. Tiesj Benoot (BEL), 4:48:09; 5. Adam Yates (GBR), 4:48:09. Also in the top 25: 19. Brent Bookwalter (USA), 4:48:09

Stage 3 (226.0 km): 1. Elia Viviani (ITA), 5:26:45; 2. Peter Sagan (SVK), 5:26:45; 3. Fernando Gaviria (COL), 5:26:45; 4. Giacomo Nizzolo (ITA), 5:26:45; 5. Jens Keukeliere (BEL), 5:26:45.

Stage 4 (221.0 km): 1. Alexey Lutsenko (KAZ), 5:16:29; 2. Primoz Roglic (SLO), 5:16:29; 3. A. Yates (GBR), 5:16:29; 4. Jakob Fuglsang (DEN), 5:16:29; 5. Davide Formolo (ITA), 5:16:38.

Stage 5 (180.0 km): 1. Fuglsang (DEN), 4:39:32; 2. A. Yates (GBR), 4:40:12; 3. Roglic (SLO), 4:40:28; 4. Tom Dumoulin (NED), 4:41:11; 5. Thibaut Pinot (FRA), 4:41:25.

Stage 6 (195.0 km): Matelica to Jesi (mountains)
Stage 7 (10.0 km Individual Time Trial): San Benedetto del Tronto (flat)

Bastianelli wins longest Women’s World Tour race in final sprint at Ronde van Drenthe

Heavy rains and plenty of mud made the Ronde van Drenthe an exercise in fortitude, in what was reported to be the longest race in the history of the UCI Women’s World Tour. But, of course, it came down to a final sprint that was won by Italy’s Marta Bastianelli.

Dutch star Ellen van Dijk sprinted to the front from a group of about a dozen riders with nine km remaining, but was caught by Bastianelli and Chantal Blaak (NED) with four km to go. The inevitable sprint came on the finishing straight in Hoogeveen, but the Italian was able to hold Blaak off as van Dijk settled for third.

For Bastianelli, 31, it’s her third World Tour win and second in the Low Countries after winning the Gent-Wevelgem Classic last year. She’s now the leader of the Women’s World Tour in the season, having finished second at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, fourth at the Strade Bianche and now the first Italian winner of the Ronde van Drenthe. Summary:

UCI Women’s World Tour: Ronde van Drenthe
Zuidwolde to Hoogeveen (NED) ~ 17 March 2019
(Full results here)

Final (165.7 km): 1. Marta Bastianelli (ITA), 4:24:14; 2. Chantal Blaak (NED), 4:24:14; 3. Ellen van Dijk (NED), 4:24:14; 4. Amy Pieters (NED), 4:24:34; 5. Lotte Kopecky (BEL), 4:24:34. Also in the top 25: 19. Alexis Ryan (USA), 4:25:32.

Exit mobile version