Greipel wins in crash-marred finale

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Andre Greipel (Omega Pharma-Lotto) avoided a high-speed crash and a split in the peloton to win stage 1 of the Eneco Tour in Sint Willebrord on Tuesday.

Riders went down like skittles in sight of the red kite but the German and a select group of other sprinters were ahead of the carnage and fought out the sprint.

Taylor Phinney (BMC) led it out, trying to win and defend his race lead. But he faded in the strong headwind. He was passed by fellow American Tyler Farrar (Garmin-Cervelo), who in turn was passed by Greipel and Russia’s Denis Galimzyanov (Katusha), who took second behind Greipel. Theo Bos (Rabobank) was stuck behind Greipel’s wheel and finished fourth.

Phinney finished seventh and so kept his seven-second overall race lead ahead of Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky). David Millar (Garmin-Cervelo) is third at eight seconds, completing an all English speaking top three. The main peloton finished 20 seconds behind the sprinters but was given the same time as the leaders because the crash occurred inside the last three kilometres. 

Strong winds, narrow roads and traffic furniture sparked several other earlier crashes and made for a nervous day in the saddle. Greipel was just glad to have made it to the front for his late dash to the line.

“It was pretty narrow so the team did a great job to keep me at the front,” he said. “I couldn’t find a gap at first and was only about 10th with 100 metres to go, but then I finally found a bit of space and I could do my sprint.”

“We were surprised by Rabobank but Philippe Gilbert and other guys did a good job to get me back to the front I didn’t see the late crash, I was at the front. I just saw some riders go down and I hope they’re ok. As we expected there was a crosswind but no team really made an big effort. Maybe it will happen tomorrow. It was pretty tough out there in the wind. it felt like the spring or autumn, not like the summer.”

Taylor Phinney climbed on the podium and pulled on the white overall leader’s jersey for the second day. He revealed he was trying to win the stage to pay back his hard working BMC teammates.

“My teammates did a such a great job all day today that I felt that I should test my legs and go for it,” he said.

"I fought for Edvald Boasson Hagen’s wheel, knowing that if he won he’d take the jersey. I went a bit far out and it was a block headwind so it was hard. But I’m just happy to be up there and happy to miss the crash. Today was a really stressful day. Just being at the front was good. If we can do that tomorrow and then carry it into the hillier stages, I think I’ll like it better, there will be a natural selection. I’m taking things day by day, kilometre by kilometre and I’m just happy to be up there.”

A hard day in the saddle

The strong winds near the Dutch coast made for a hard day in the saddle. 

The 192km stage was always expected to end in a sprint but six riders still went on the attack and got a gap after 30km of the stage.

Julien Fouchard (Cofidis) Thomas De Gendt (Vacansoleil), Han Feng (Skil-Shimano), Stijn Neirynck (Topsport Vlaanderen), Jens Debusschere (Omega Pharma-Lotto) and Matteo Trentin (Quick Step) opened a seven-minute gap and De Gendt confirmed his aggressive tendencies by picking up the first two intermediate sprints. However a frequent, strong headwind often slowed the escapees and the gap gradually came down.

BMC did its share to defend Taylor Phinney's race leadership but Garmin-Cervelo and Team Sky also sent Johan Van Summeren and Michael Barry on the front to ride for their sprinters. The only moment the break perhaps had any chance of staying away was when Phinney punctured with 20km to go. He stopped and calmly got a rear wheel change before blasting his way back to the peloton. A teammate, and possible future teammate Philippe Gilbert (Omega Pharma-Lotto), then helped get back to the front by taking a bike path next to the road before jumping back in the race with cheeky smiles. With Phinney back, the peloton accelerated again and the break was soon back to within a minute.

The six had become four in the finale and then Fouchard tried a solo move on the 15km finishing circuit. However that only split the breakaway and everyone was soon swept up or sat up.

With a strong wind blowing and the road covering a circuit in the lanes of the Netherlands, echelons and splits in the peloton were always a danger. Rabobank are the natural masters when it comes to attacking in the wind and suddenly six riders appeared on the front of the peloton, which was drawn out in a long line.

Fortunately the road changed direction again but the tension was palpable as the rider twitched and switched nervously to fight for wheels.

The headwind stopped any one team leading out the sprint and then the crash caused further confusion. A Liquigas-Cannondale rider seemed to touch wheels and others crashed too or were scattered across the road.

A group of 20 or so riders were not delayed by the spill and surged towards the line. Phinney hit out early as Boasson Hagen again lost out in the fight for the right wheel. However the best tactic was to leave it late and Greipel found a way through on the left of the road and accelerated up the barriers to win.