2022 Tour de La Provence Stage 1 Results & Recap
Stage 1 of the 2022 Tour de La Provence is in the books. The final results and standings are below, followed by our recap of how the race unfolded.
Race Recap
Elia Viviani conquered the first stage in line of the Tour de la Provence 2022. The sprinter of the Ineos Grenadiers managed to remain in the squad of about thirty men selected 70 kilometers from the finish due to the fans and, well supported by his teammates (in particular from an inexhaustible Filippo Ganna, very precious in going to mend Maciej Bodnar's attempt in the final), he then imposed himself in the sprint. Second place for Sep Vanmarcke (Israel-Premier Tech) ahead of world champion Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl), who thanks to the bonuses taken at the finish and the intermediate sprints climbs to second position in the overall standings, to 4 "from Ganna.
The first shot after the official start is the good one for the formation of the breakaway of the day. Viktor Verschaeve (Lotto Soudal), Pierre Rolland (B&B Hotels-KTM), Tom Mainguenaud (Go Sport-Roubaix Lille Metropole) form the attempt ), Tristan Delacroix and Jean Goubert (Nice Metropole Cote Azur), on which Stephane Rossetto (St Michel-Auber 93) also returns shortly after. In short, the gap of these six men exceeds two minutes and, after the short GPM of the Col de la Vayede, the only roughness of the day placed about thirty kilometers after the start, reaches five minutes.
At that point, however, mainly due to the wind, the platoon is shaken by various accelerations, with the men of the Ineos Grenadias rs very active in the top positions. In short, therefore, the tread margin drops below three minutes, while some riders are already starting to lose contact from the group, even if later they manage to re-queue favored by the change of direction of the course, which allows them to take advantage of the wind in their favor. . Even the platoon returns momentarily quiet, but at -80 from the conclusion a new change of direction leads again to find lateral wind. three parts. The first section includes Filippo Ganna (IGD), Samuele Battistella (AST), Pierre Latour (TEN), Julian Alaphilippe (QST), Maciej Bodnar (TEN), Ilan Van Wilder (QST), Louis Vervaeke (QST), Mattias Jensen (TFS), Matteo Jorgenson (MOV), Maxime Bouet (ARK), Damien Touze (ACT), Nairo Quintana (ARK), Sep Vanmarcke (IPT), Cedric Beullens (LTS), Martijn Tusveld (DSM), Richard Carapaz (IGD ), Aurélien Paret Peintre (ACT), Luke Rowe (IGD), Elia Viviani (IGD), Lukasz Owsian (ARK) and Mads Würtz Schmidt (IPT), who within a few kilometers go to reabsorb the six fugitives, gaining in the meantime almost a minute ahead of the second part of the platoon and more than 1'30 "over a third group of latecomers.
At that point, having entered the final circuit of 24 kilometers, to be repeated two and a half times, the race is practically decided. The leading squad, in fact, with the passing of the kilometers continues to gain on the pursuers, bringing the advantage to more than two minutes. ilippe takes advantage of the two intermediate sprints, placed on the finish line, to take six seconds of bonus, while approaching the finish line the fugitives of the first hour, Rolland, Rossetto, Goubert and Mainguenaud, lose contact. The remaining 24 treads seem to be heading towards a narrow sprint, but seven kilometers from the finish Bodnar accelerates and manages to take a few hundred meters of margin. pursuit of the Ineos Grenadiers, who wants to bring Viviani to the sprint. Bodnar initially manages to keep some margin, but once Ganna takes the lead of the group, the TotalEnergies rider is forced to raise the white flag, being caught just before the last kilometer. Despite the work done previously, Ganna keeps the pace high and launches Viviani perfectly, who completes the work of her team in the best possible way.
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