Tour of Britain: Greipel sprints to stage 1 victory

André Greipel (Lotto – Soudal) imposed himself on the Tour of Britain’s opening stage Sunday, powering to a bunch kick victory in the 161.5-kilometer stage from Glasgow to Castle Douglas, Scotland.

Guided through the final corner by teammate Jens Debuscherre, Greipel avoided a late crash that took out a number of stage hopefuls, including Dimension Data’s Mark Cavendish, and then opened up his sprint. None of the other quick men still present could match his speed. Greipel crossed the line the clear victor, with Orica – BikeExchange’s Caleb Ewan claiming second and Ramon Sinkeldam (Giant – Alpecin) in third.

Top 10, stage 1

• 1. André GREIPEL, LOTTO SOUDAL, in 3:52:40
• 2. Caleb EWAN, ORICA-BIKEEXCHANGE, at :00
• 3. Ramon SINKELDAM, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at :00
• 4. Maximiliano Ariel RICHEZE, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :00
• 5. Giacomo NIZZOLO, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at :00
• 6. Nicola RUFFONI, BARDIANI CSF, at :00
• 7. Steele VON HOFF, ONE PRO CYCLING, at :00
• 8. Christopher LATHAM, WGN, at :00
• 9. Daniel MCLAY, GBR, at :00
• 10. Jens DEBUSSCHERE, LOTTO SOUDAL, at :00

Top 10 overall

• 1. André GREIPEL, LOTTO SOUDAL, in 3:52:30
• 2. Jasper BOVENHUIS, SKT, at :01
• 3. Caleb EWAN, ORICA-BIKEEXCHANGE, at :04
• 4. Peter WILLIAMS, ONE PRO CYCLING, at :04
• 5. Ramon SINKELDAM, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at :06
• 6. Jonathan MCEVOY, NFTO, at :08
• 7. Thomas MOSES, JLT CONDOR, at :09
• 8. Maximiliano Ariel RICHEZE, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :10
• 9. Giacomo NIZZOLO, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at :10
• 10. Nicola RUFFONI, BARDIANI CSF, at :10

A five-man break made it up the road in the first few kilometers of the day, but a sprinter-friendly profile had the peloton keen to keep things under control, spelling doom for the escapees. There advantage topped out at around four minutes before the pack began reeling them back in.

The catch was made 10km from the finish, setting the stage for a bunch sprint. Lotto – Soudal made a well-timed arrival at the front of the bunch to lead the peloton into the finale, which means that André Griepel was close enough to the head of affairs to evade a late pileup that brought down Cavendish, Sky’s Elia Viviani, and several others.

Leaving the chaotic crash in the rearview mirror, Greipel wound up his sprint and took the win ahead of Ewan and Sinkeldam.

“Based on the profile, today’s stage was the easiest one of the week,” Greipel said. “There were five riders in the breakaway, but they weren’t a threat. Our trainee James Shaw did a lot of work together with the riders of Lotto NL Jumbo, Dimension Data and Team Sky. As we’re here with teams of only six riders, it’s difficult to control the race.

“For us it was important to be in the front of the peloton in the finale. We managed to set up a perfect lead-out: Gallopin and De Buyst prepared us for the sprint while Sieberg and Debusschere gave everything they had in the last kilometer. With five hundred meters to go there was a sharp curve and we had to be in front by then. What followed was a slightly uphill finish. Everyone did a perfect job which is very important when you race with small teams.”

The race continues Monday with a 187.7-kilometer stage 2 from Carlisle to Kendal.

Stage 1 results

• 1. André GREIPEL, LOTTO SOUDAL, in 3:52:40
• 2. Caleb EWAN, ORICA-BIKEEXCHANGE, at :00
• 3. Ramon SINKELDAM, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at :00
• 4. Maximiliano Ariel RICHEZE, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :00
• 5. Giacomo NIZZOLO, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at :00
• 6. Nicola RUFFONI, BARDIANI CSF, at :00
• 7. Steele VON HOFF, ONE PRO CYCLING, at :00
• 8. Christopher LATHAM, WGN, at :00
• 9. Daniel MCLAY, GBR, at :00
• 10. Jens DEBUSSCHERE, LOTTO SOUDAL, at :00
• 11. Paolo SIMION, BARDIANI CSF, at :00
• 12. Nicolas VEREECKEN, SKT, at :00
• 13. Domingos ANDRÉ MACIEL GONÇALVES, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at :00
• 14. Hector SAEZ BENITO, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at :00
• 15. Oliver WOOD, GBR, at :00
• 16. Rick ZABEL, BMC RACING TEAM, at :00
• 17. Alexandre BLAIN, MGT, at :00
• 18. Dylan VAN BAARLE, CANNONDALE-DRAPAC PRO CYCLING TEAM, at :00
• 19. Diego RUBIO, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at :00
• 20. Ruben ZEPUNTKE, CANNONDALE-DRAPAC PRO CYCLING TEAM, at :00
• 21. Sebastian LANGEVELD, CANNONDALE-DRAPAC PRO CYCLING TEAM, at :00
• 22. Jack BAUER, CANNONDALE-DRAPAC PRO CYCLING TEAM, at :00
• 23. Gorka IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI, MOVISTAR TEAM, at :00
• 24. Wout POELS, TEAM SKY, at :00
• 25. Tao GEOGHEGAN HART, GBR, at :00
• 26. Steven LAMPIER, JLT CONDOR, at :00
• 27. Graham BRIGGS, JLT CONDOR, at :00
• 28. Boy VAN POPPEL, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at :00
• 29. Liam STONES, NFTO, at :00
• 30. Mathew CRONSHAW, MGT, at :00
• 31. Bjorn THURAU, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at :00
• 32. Jasper BOVENHUIS, SKT, at :00
• 33. Mark RENSHAW, TEAM DIMENSION DATA, at :00
• 34. Adrien COSTA, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :00
• 35. Edoardo ZARDINI, BARDIANI CSF, at :00
• 36. Mark STEWART, GBR, at :00
• 37. Erick ROWSELL, MGT, at :00
• 38. Matthew HOLMES, MGT, at :00
• 39. Guillaume MARTIN, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at :00
• 40. Ian BIBBY, NFTO, at :00
• 41. Karol DOMAGALSKI, ONE PRO CYCLING, at :00
• 42. Jacob SCOTT, SKT, at :00
• 43. Xandro MEURISSE, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at :00
• 44. Jochem HOEKSTRA, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at :00
• 45. Lukasz WISNIOWSKI, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :00
• 46. Daniel PEARSON, WGN, at :00
• 47. Adam BLYTHE, GBR, at :00
• 48. Ben SWIFT, TEAM SKY, at :00
• 49. Francesco Manuel BONGIORNO, BARDIANI CSF, at :00
• 50. Emiel WASTYN, SKT, at :00
• 51. Thomas STEWART, MGT, at :00
• 52. Amaël MOINARD, BMC RACING TEAM, at :00
• 53. Loic VLIEGEN, BMC RACING TEAM, at :00
• 54. Ryan MULLEN, CANNONDALE-DRAPAC PRO CYCLING TEAM, at :00
• 55. Giovanni VISCONTI, MOVISTAR TEAM, at :00
• 56. Mark MCNALLY, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at :00
• 57. Tony MARTIN, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :00
• 58. Tom DUMOULIN, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at :00
• 59. Roy CURVERS, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at :00
• 60. Dion SMITH, ONE PRO CYCLING, at :00
• 61. Nicolas ROCHE, TEAM SKY, at :00
• 62. Miguel Angel BENITO DIEZ, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at :00
• 63. Alex DOWSETT, MOVISTAR TEAM, at :00
• 64. Taylor EISENHART, BMC RACING TEAM, at :00
• 65. Taylor PHINNEY, BMC RACING TEAM, at :00
• 66. Dale APPLEBY, NFTO, at :00
• 67. Rohan DENNIS, BMC RACING TEAM, at :00
• 68. Alistair SLATER, JLT CONDOR, at :00
• 69. Edmund BRADBURY, NFTO, at :00
• 70. Peter WILLIAMS, ONE PRO CYCLING, at :00
• 71. Amets TXURRUKA, ORICA-BIKEEXCHANGE, at :00
• 72. Carlos BARBERO CUESTA, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at :00
• 73. Jorge ARCAS PENA, MOVISTAR TEAM, at :00
• 74. Luka MEZGEC, ORICA-BIKEEXCHANGE, at :00
• 75. Conor DUNNE, JLT CONDOR, at :00
• 76. Robert POWER, ORICA-BIKEEXCHANGE, at :00
• 77. Oliver KET-SPARK, SKT, at :00
• 78. Mark CHRISTIAN, WGN, at :00
• 79. Gabriel CULLAIGH, GBR, at :00
• 80. Thomas MOSES, JLT CONDOR, at :00
• 81. Hayden MCCORMICK, ONE PRO CYCLING, at :00
• 82. Tony GALLOPIN, LOTTO SOUDAL, at :00
• 83. Daniel MARTIN, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :00
• 84. Julien VERMOTE, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :00
• 85. Jonathan DIBBEN, WGN, at :00
• 86. Alessandro TONELLI, BARDIANI CSF, at :00
• 87. Marco MARCATO, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at :00
• 88. Robert PARTRIDGE, NFTO, at :00
• 89. James SHAW, LOTTO SOUDAL, at :00
• 90. Martijn TUSVELD, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at :00
• 91. Jonathan MCEVOY, NFTO, at :00
• 92. Jacopo MOSCA, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at :00
• 93. Taylor Karl GUNMAN, MGT, at :00
• 94. Eugenio ALAFACI, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at :00
• 95. Javier MORENO BAZAN, MOVISTAR TEAM, at :00
• 96. Enrico GASPAROTTO, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at :00
• 97. Stephen CUMMINGS, TEAM DIMENSION DATA, at :00
• 98. Owain DOULL, WGN, at :00
• 99. Kristian HOUSE, ONE PRO CYCLING, at :00
• 100. Nicola BOEM, BARDIANI CSF, at :00
• 101. Damien SHAW, SKT, at :00
• 102. Javier Francisco ARAMENDIA LORENTE, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at :00
• 103. Paul MARTENS, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at :00
• 104. Bertjan LINDEMAN, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at :00
• 105. Marcel SIEBERG, LOTTO SOUDAL, at :00
• 106. Alexander EDMONSON, ORICA-BIKEEXCHANGE, at :00
• 107. Thomas LEEZER, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at :00
• 108. Jay Robert THOMSON, TEAM DIMENSION DATA, at :00
• 109. Johann VAN ZYL, TEAM DIMENSION DATA, at :00
• 110. Bernhard EISEL, TEAM DIMENSION DATA, at :00
• 111. Bradley WIGGINS, WGN, at :00
• 112. Maarten WYNANTS, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at :00
• 113. Ian STANNARD, TEAM SKY, at :00
• 114. Russell DOWNING, JLT CONDOR, at :00
• 115. Jasper DE BUYST, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 1:34
• 116. Marco COLEDAN, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 1:44
• 117. Michael HEPBURN, ORICA-BIKEEXCHANGE, at 1:45
• 118. Dylan GROENEWEGEN, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at :00
• 119. Robert WAGNER, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at :00
• 120. Danny VAN POPPEL, TEAM SKY, at :00
• 121. Juan Jose LOBATO DEL VALLE, MOVISTAR TEAM, at :00
• 122. Mark CAVENDISH, TEAM DIMENSION DATA, at :00
• 123. Elia VIVIANI, TEAM SKY, at :00
• 124. Wouter WIPPERT, CANNONDALE-DRAPAC PRO CYCLING TEAM, at :00

General classification

• 1. André GREIPEL, LOTTO SOUDAL, in 3:52:30
• 2. Jasper BOVENHUIS, SKT, at :01
• 3. Caleb EWAN, ORICA-BIKEEXCHANGE, at :04
• 4. Peter WILLIAMS, ONE PRO CYCLING, at :04
• 5. Ramon SINKELDAM, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at :06
• 6. Jonathan MCEVOY, NFTO, at :08
• 7. Thomas MOSES, JLT CONDOR, at :09
• 8. Maximiliano Ariel RICHEZE, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :10
• 9. Giacomo NIZZOLO, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at :10
• 10. Nicola RUFFONI, BARDIANI CSF, at :10
• 11. Steele VON HOFF, ONE PRO CYCLING, at :10
• 12. Christopher LATHAM, WGN, at :10
• 13. Daniel MCLAY, GBR, at :10
• 14. Jens DEBUSSCHERE, LOTTO SOUDAL, at :10
• 15. Paolo SIMION, BARDIANI CSF, at :10
• 16. Nicolas VEREECKEN, SKT, at :10
• 17. Domingos ANDRÉ MACIEL GONÇALVES, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at :10
• 18. Hector SAEZ BENITO, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at :10
• 19. Oliver WOOD, GBR, at :10
• 20. Rick ZABEL, BMC RACING TEAM, at :10
• 21. Alexandre BLAIN, MGT, at :10
• 22. Dylan VAN BAARLE, CANNONDALE-DRAPAC PRO CYCLING TEAM, at :10
• 23. Diego RUBIO, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at :10
• 24. Ruben ZEPUNTKE, CANNONDALE-DRAPAC PRO CYCLING TEAM, at :10
• 25. Sebastian LANGEVELD, CANNONDALE-DRAPAC PRO CYCLING TEAM, at :10
• 26. Jack BAUER, CANNONDALE-DRAPAC PRO CYCLING TEAM, at :10
• 27. Gorka IZAGUIRRE INSAUSTI, MOVISTAR TEAM, at :10
• 28. Wout POELS, TEAM SKY, at :10
• 29. Tao GEOGHEGAN HART, GBR, at :10
• 30. Steven LAMPIER, JLT CONDOR, at :10
• 31. Graham BRIGGS, JLT CONDOR, at :10
• 32. Boy VAN POPPEL, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at :10
• 33. Liam STONES, NFTO, at :10
• 34. Mathew CRONSHAW, MGT, at :10
• 35. Bjorn THURAU, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at :10
• 36. Mark RENSHAW, TEAM DIMENSION DATA, at :10
• 37. Adrien COSTA, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :10
• 38. Edoardo ZARDINI, BARDIANI CSF, at :10
• 39. Mark STEWART, GBR, at :10
• 40. Erick ROWSELL, MGT, at :10
• 41. Matthew HOLMES, MGT, at :10
• 42. Guillaume MARTIN, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at :10
• 43. Ian BIBBY, NFTO, at :10
• 44. Karol DOMAGALSKI, ONE PRO CYCLING, at :10
• 45. Jacob SCOTT, SKT, at :10
• 46. Xandro MEURISSE, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at :10
• 47. Jochem HOEKSTRA, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at :10
• 48. Lukasz WISNIOWSKI, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :10
• 49. Daniel PEARSON, WGN, at :10
• 50. Adam BLYTHE, GBR, at :10
• 51. Ben SWIFT, TEAM SKY, at :10
• 52. Francesco Manuel BONGIORNO, BARDIANI CSF, at :10
• 53. Emiel WASTYN, SKT, at :10
• 54. Thomas STEWART, MGT, at :10
• 55. Amaël MOINARD, BMC RACING TEAM, at :10
• 56. Loic VLIEGEN, BMC RACING TEAM, at :10
• 57. Ryan MULLEN, CANNONDALE-DRAPAC PRO CYCLING TEAM, at :10
• 58. Giovanni VISCONTI, MOVISTAR TEAM, at :10
• 59. Mark MCNALLY, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at :10
• 60. Tony MARTIN, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :10
• 61. Tom DUMOULIN, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at :10
• 62. Roy CURVERS, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at :10
• 63. Dion SMITH, ONE PRO CYCLING, at :10
• 64. Nicolas ROCHE, TEAM SKY, at :10
• 65. Miguel Angel BENITO DIEZ, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at :10
• 66. Alex DOWSETT, MOVISTAR TEAM, at :10
• 67. Taylor EISENHART, BMC RACING TEAM, at :10
• 68. Taylor PHINNEY, BMC RACING TEAM, at :10
• 69. Dale APPLEBY, NFTO, at :10
• 70. Rohan DENNIS, BMC RACING TEAM, at :10
• 71. Alistair SLATER, JLT CONDOR, at :10
• 72. Edmund BRADBURY, NFTO, at :10
• 73. Amets TXURRUKA, ORICA-BIKEEXCHANGE, at :10
• 74. Carlos BARBERO CUESTA, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at :10
• 75. Jorge ARCAS PENA, MOVISTAR TEAM, at :10
• 76. Luka MEZGEC, ORICA-BIKEEXCHANGE, at :10
• 77. Conor DUNNE, JLT CONDOR, at :10
• 78. Robert POWER, ORICA-BIKEEXCHANGE, at :10
• 79. Oliver KET-SPARK, SKT, at :10
• 80. Mark CHRISTIAN, WGN, at :10
• 81. Gabriel CULLAIGH, GBR, at :10
• 82. Hayden MCCORMICK, ONE PRO CYCLING, at :10
• 83. Tony GALLOPIN, LOTTO SOUDAL, at :10
• 84. Daniel MARTIN, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :10
• 85. Julien VERMOTE, ETIXX – QUICK STEP, at :10
• 86. Jonathan DIBBEN, WGN, at :10
• 87. Alessandro TONELLI, BARDIANI CSF, at :10
• 88. Marco MARCATO, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at :10
• 89. Robert PARTRIDGE, NFTO, at :10
• 90. James SHAW, LOTTO SOUDAL, at :10
• 91. Martijn TUSVELD, TEAM GIANT – ALPECIN, at :10
• 92. Jacopo MOSCA, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at :10
• 93. Taylor Karl GUNMAN, MGT, at :10
• 94. Eugenio ALAFACI, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at :10
• 95. Javier MORENO BAZAN, MOVISTAR TEAM, at :10
• 96. Enrico GASPAROTTO, WANTY – GROUPE GOBERT, at :10
• 97. Stephen CUMMINGS, TEAM DIMENSION DATA, at :10
• 98. Owain DOULL, WGN, at :10
• 99. Kristian HOUSE, ONE PRO CYCLING, at :10
• 100. Nicola BOEM, BARDIANI CSF, at :10
• 101. Damien SHAW, SKT, at :10
• 102. Javier Francisco ARAMENDIA LORENTE, CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA, at :10
• 103. Paul MARTENS, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at :10
• 104. Bertjan LINDEMAN, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at :10
• 105. Marcel SIEBERG, LOTTO SOUDAL, at :10
• 106. Alexander EDMONSON, ORICA-BIKEEXCHANGE, at :10
• 107. Thomas LEEZER, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at :10
• 108. Jay Robert THOMSON, TEAM DIMENSION DATA, at :10
• 109. Johann VAN ZYL, TEAM DIMENSION DATA, at :10
• 110. Bernhard EISEL, TEAM DIMENSION DATA, at :10
• 111. Bradley WIGGINS, WGN, at :10
• 112. Maarten WYNANTS, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at :10
• 113. Ian STANNARD, TEAM SKY, at :10
• 114. Russell DOWNING, JLT CONDOR, at :10
• 115. Dylan GROENEWEGEN, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at :10
• 116. Robert WAGNER, TEAM LOTTO NL – JUMBO, at :10
• 117. Danny VAN POPPEL, TEAM SKY, at :10
• 118. Juan Jose LOBATO DEL VALLE, MOVISTAR TEAM, at :10
• 119. Mark CAVENDISH, TEAM DIMENSION DATA, at :10
• 120. Elia VIVIANI, TEAM SKY, at :10
• 121. Wouter WIPPERT, CANNONDALE-DRAPAC PRO CYCLING TEAM, at :10
• 122. Jasper DE BUYST, LOTTO SOUDAL, at 1:44
• 123. Marco COLEDAN, TREK – SEGAFREDO, at 1:54
• 124. Michael HEPBURN, ORICA-BIKEEXCHANGE, at 1:55