Last Sunday CULT Energy Pro Cyclling Dane Rasmus Quaade was in the Liege-Bastogne-Liege morning break and the time trial specialist picked up where he left during today’s 174 kilometer long initial stage of the British stage race Tour of Yorkshire between Bridlington and Scarbourough. In the finale, the pressure was on Team Sky having two riders in the crucial counter-attack.

Quaade formed the first breakaway with four other riders and rode across the beautifully undulating terrain in the northeastern part of England. The landscape did have a crucial impact on the turn of events as the front group was gradually whittled down as the hills steepened and took the best out of the escapees.

With 35 kilometers to go, the last standing escapee was joined and passed by a chase group including Thomas Voeckler (Europcar), Samuel Sanchez (BMC), Philip Deignan (Sky), Lars-Petter Nordhaug (Sky) and Stephano Rosetto (Cofidis).  In the highly entertaining tactical finish, Nordhaug eventually was the first rider across the finish line.

CULT Energy Pro Cycling home turf hero Russell Downing finished 17th in the second chase group as the field was divided in to numerous small groups:

“It was good to have Rasmus out there in the front to flash the jersey and when the final escapee was caught, the peloton was already cut in half and we had all riders in the first part of it. As both Ben Swift (Sky) and Marcel Kittel (GIANT) abandoned during the stage, it turned out to be very different tactically than everyone expected and when the big names started to attack, we simply didn’t make it. However, the boys are generally showing good form and without two top sprinters in the pack, tomorrow’s stage might be pretty similar to today’s and we have to pay attention in order to make it to the finale,” says DS Luke Roberts after the stage.