The 73rd edition of the Tour de Pologne UCI World Tour officially opened with the first stage from Radzymin to Warsaw. The departure was rich in historical significance. The theme behind the 2016 Tour de Pologne is a fitting historic route through this great nation. The momentous journey set off from Radzymin, a town located on the outskirts of Warsaw, on the right bank of the Vistula River, which has come to symbolize the resistance of the Polish people during the Soviet-Polish War from 1919 to 1921.
The fast stage covered 135 km, with an initial in-line part before launching into the circuit that delved into the heart of the capital. 25 teams lined up for the start with 200 riders, all fresh and ready to do battle. In fact, the attacks got underway immediately after the start. The first part of the stage was lit up by a breakaway of 6 riders: Italian Alesandro De Marchi (BMC), Frenchman Marc Fournier (Fdj), Britain’s Peter Williams (ONE Pro Cycling), German Jonas Koch (Verva ActiveJet), and Poles Jaroslaw Marycz (CCC Sprandi Polkowice) and Szymon Rekita (Polish National Team). They gained a maximum advantage of about 3 and a half minutes. However, the pack was pulled along by the teams of sprinters intent on making this first finish line their own, and they left no room for the attackers. The last one to surrender was De Marchi.
The group was nice and tight as it entered the final 2 km, when hometown idol Michał Kwiatkowski (Team Sky) tried to get a jump on the rest of the pack on the last stretch over cobblestones, followed by Zdenek Stybar (Etixx – Quick-Step) and Philippe Gilbert (BMC). Credit goes to the attackers for breaking up the group; however they weren’t able to build a gap and got caught and passed in the last 500 m by Davide Martinelli, who, in spite of a super long sprint, managed to keep a cool head and win the first stage of the 73rd Tour de Pologne with arms raised. It was an Etixx – Quick-Step party with Fernando Gaviria in second place and Zdenek Stybar fourth.
“This is my second season victory, my first ever in a World Tour race,” declares the winner, Davide Martinelli. “Our designated leader for today was Gaviria, but in the final kilometre when I saw Gilbert following Stybar’s tyre, I understood it was the perfect time to make a move. I came out of the last curve in the lead, turning a couple of times to get a sense of the situation behind me and where my team mates were, and when I realized that I could make it, it was an incredible feeling and I gave it all I had, all the way to the finish line. I’m proud to be able to wear the yellow jersey, however I’m aware that the race is still going to be long and hard; I’m young and I am still trying to understand how far I can go and what my limits are.”
In addition to the Skandia yellow jersey, Davide Martinelli also donned the Hyundai white jersey as the top classified sprinter. The first Tauron cyclamen jersey for best climber is being worn by Jaroslaw Marycz (CCC Sprandi Polkowice). The Lotto blue jersey for the most active rider in the pack went to Frenchman Marc Fournier (FDJ). Team Etixx – Quick-Step leads the team classification. National idol Michał Kwiatkowski (Team Sky) was a big star today, lighting up the competition in the final and closing out the stage in eighth place.
“I knew the circuit was quite insidious, so I tried to stay ahead and in the final, when I saw the chance to take action I went for it,” declares Kwiatkowski, the best Polish rider at the finish line. “I knew it would be difficult to make it to the finish line; today Etixx – Quick-Step really gave a great performance but I had to try something in front of this crowd and all my fans. Anyway, it was a good test, I feel like I’m in good shape and now we’ll see what happens in these next several days.”
Photo © Szymon Gruchalski/tourdepologne.pl
Source: Lang Team