After a short break following the Giro d’Italia, André Greipel (Lotto Soudal) returned to his winning ways immediately as he continued his love affair with the Tour de Luxembourg by winning the first stage for the third year in a row. After his team had controlled most of the stage, he held off Adam Blythe (Tinkoff) and Amaury Capiot (Topsport Vlaanderen) in the bunch kick. Jempy Drucker (BMC) had to settle for sixth but it was enough to retain the lead.

 

We have gathered several reactions.

 

Victorious André Greipel: This win shows our support to Broeckx

André Greipel has won the first stage of the Tour de Luxembourg. The German beat Adam Blythe. This victory is one for Stig Broeckx!

 

André Greipel said: 

 

“The stage today was a bit cat and mouse with the breakaway at times, but in the end, the team took responsibility to chase it down and set up the sprint. Sander Armée pulled hard at the front to catch the breakaway, but the finale was rather sketchy due to the wet roads and many corners. I found myself a bit too far back at one time and became slightly boxed in. However, I was able to find the wheel of my teammates and we were able to launch our lead-out train.

 

“I think we performed a textbook lead-out, and it went just like we had planned. I was really happy that I could be there right at the finish to complete all the hard work of the team.

 

” In the current circumstances, it isn’t always easy to gear the mind towards racing and to ride aggressively, which is the frame of mind you need to have during the sprints. It is difficult during these times to always be in race mode, but I think that this victory today was an important way for us to show our support for Stig. It also shows how we come together as a team and keep fighting.”

 

Adam Blythe close to first win in the Tinkoff jersey

After a wet and miserable prologue in the streets of Luxembourg, the race broke out of the city for the Tour de Luxembourg’s first road stage. In conditions marginally better than those yesterday, a group of three struck out in the first few kilometres and held the peloton at bay for most of the stage. With a fast finishing circuit and a finish that encouraged a bunch sprint, Adam Blythe contested the win and crossed the line in second – narrowly beaten in the run for the line.

 

With 7km left of the race, it was all back together as the sprinters’ teams massed at the front and the predicted bunch sprint was on. It was a matter now of staying safe in the final circuit – something the guys did perfectly – before the sprint for the line. With the final few turns negotiated safely, up against strong competition, Adam Blythe took second in the bunch sprint, having worked his way in between the sprint trains of the other teams, coming out of the last corner in fifth position. Starting his sprint after the bend, Blythe was in front with 250m to go, but a last surge from Andre Greipel took the win. This remained an excellent result for the British rider, given the calibre of his competition in the sprint.

Sport Director, Lars Michaelsen, saw the stage pan out exactly as he’d planned.

 

"It was a nice outcome today - our strategy was to sit back and wait for the race to come back together as we expected for a sprint, which would work in our advantage as we'd be transported into the finale. It's easy to say and hard to execute, but it worked out well today.”

 

Blythe was pleased with the result after racing hard at the Tour of California.

 

"It was a good race today - the stage was pretty chilled then got quicker and quicker in the final 25-30km. In the finale there were lot of corners and I was fighting my way up, and I came out of the last corner about 350m to go in a good position. With about 300m left there was a little lull, and I hit them then and it nearly worked out. California was good for me – it was a hard race and I'm still a bit tired from the travelling but it was a good one to build on. We'll continue to take it day by day, but I think there are other opportunities for us here."

 

The layout of the stage gave the team a chance to assess their options for the sprint, owing to the finishing circuit giving riders a chance to check out the final stretch, as Michaelsen explained.

 

“The route was typical of this race - it started with roughly 100km up and down roads with a few valleys in-between, before we came into the finishing circuit where we did three and a half laps, covering a climb four times. This gave the guys time to see the finish, but we already knew from the beginning that it was quite technical and Adam is good at these finishes. Second behind Greipel is a good result - he's a top sprinter who comes here after three wins at the Giro, so it's a good result for the guys and now we look to tomorrow's stage.”

 

Great day for race leader Drucker at the Tour de Luxembourg

Jempy Drucker successfully defended his yellow jersey on ŠkodaTour de Luxembourg Stage 1 as the race came down to a predicted bunch sprint in Hesperange.

 

Drucker was in a good position at the end of the race, digging deep in the final meters of the 170.6km stage to cross the line sixth and maintain his place on the top of the General Classification ahead of Maurits Lammertink (Roompot – Oranje Peloton) and BMC Racing Team teammate, Tom Bohli.

 

Sport director Jackson Stewart said: ““Today was definitely a day for the sprinters for sure. We were happy that the break went away at the start of the stage to take the bonus time on the sprints and then at the end we worked pretty hard with the likes of Lotto Soudal and Orica-GreenEdge to bring everybody back together and get Jempy [Drucker] in the best position that we could for the sprint.

 

“In terms of the General Classification it was a good scenario for us as no one really took time on Jempy. All the guys are really motivated to protect the jersey and there is a lot of morale in the team because Jempy is really excited to be in the jersey in his home country. You can see a lot of leadership coming from him, he know all the roads and he know when to tell the guys where to be on the road.”

 

Jempy Drucker said: “It was another good day for me. I am really happy to have defended the yellow jersey especially on home ground. The whole team is super motivated to help me, which I am really thankful for, and the guys did a great job today to get in a good position for the sprint. This stage was definitely one for the strong sprinters' teams so I was really happy to be in the mix at the end and to not lose any time over the riders at the top of the GC.

 

“It’s great to have the chance to race in Luxembourg, I know the roads well and I think that will be a huge help for me as the race continues and we head onto the climbs. Tomorrow it’s an uphill finish that we did two years ago. It’s pretty hard but I will definitely be giving it everything again!”

 

Gerald Ciolek back in the top 10 at the Tour de Luxembourg

The first road stage of the Skoda-Tour de Luxembourg (2.HC) was decided in a mass sprint. Team Stölting Service Group put its faith in Gerald Ciolek who repaid the trust and the work of his teammates with a 7th place.

 

André Greipel (Lotto Soudal) was strongest in the sprint and won the stage. Ciolek was brought into position by his teammates and could move up several places in the sprint to finish seventh. After his lead-out, Alex Kirsch also finished in the front of the peloton. Jempy Drucker (BMC Racing Team) defended his overall lead.

 

Sports Director Gregor Willwohl said: “The break was controlled by BMC, later Lotto Soudal and Orica – GreenEdge took up the chase and prepared the sprint. Fabian Wegmann crashed on the final lap, but didn’t suffer any serious injuries. Rasmus Guldhammer, Mads Pedersen and Christian Mager had been tasked with jumping into late attacks on the last hill; after that it was all for Gerald. He was a bit far back in the final corner, but did a good sprint, unfortunately the finish line came up soon

 

“Tomorrow’s final will be very difficult,” he continued. “There’s a corner 200 m before the foot of the climb, and from the top it’s only 300 m to the finish. I think there could be time gaps between smaller groups here. If you’re not at the front through that corner you’ll be out of the race for the stage.”

 

No glory for Caleb Ewan in bunch sprint at Tour de Luxembourg

Australian track star Alex Edmondson sprinted into the top on stage one of the 2.HC category race, Tour de Luxembourg.

 

On a day animated by a long breakaway of three riders, it eventually came down to the final seven kilometres when the breakaway was caught and the sprint team lined themselves up ready for a bunch finish.  

 

Andre Greipel (Lotto-Soudal) proved to quick powering to victory on the 170kilometre stage with Edmondson riding into ninth place.

 

Sprinter Caleb Ewan was unfortunately swamped in the closing metres nevertheless sport director Matt Wilson was pleased with the whole ORICA-GreenEDGE team efforts despite not being able to finish as planned.

 

"It went well the whole day for us," explained Wilson. "With three guys up the road, no one really dangerous we didn't have to do too much work until the final circuits and we had one rider up there helping with the chase.

 

"The guys did a really awesome job in the final for the lead out, they did really well against a very experienced train there with Lotto.  

 

"Caleb was on the right wheel with around 500m to go, but there was a little fork in there and he got swamped from behind and boxed in.

 

"It was disappointing not to get the result we were looking for but we can't fault the effort and the work from all the guys today."

 

Young German sprinter shows himself in Luxembourg

After two days of racing at de Škoda Tour de Luxembourg, Leopard Pro Cycling can be happy about the performances of its riders. In the prologue in Luxembourg City, Alexander Krieger had the seventh fastest time and the German sprinted to the eleventh position in the first stage one day later.

 

On Wednesday, the Tour de Luxembourg started with a short prologue of only 2,9 kilometers, which had a tough climb of about 400 meters on the route. In the pouring rain the Luxembourger Jean-Pierre Drucker (BMC Racing Team) went full gas and won the prologue with an advantage of three seconds on Maurits Lammertink (Roompot-Oranje Peloton). Alexander Krieger put in a great performance which resulted in the seventh place, but also Pit Schlechter and Patrick Olesen performed well with a respectively 22nd a 24th place.

 

The first stage went from Luxembourg City to Hesperange over a distance of 170,6 kilometers.  After his seventh place in the prologue, Alexander Krieger showed his fast legs once again with an eleventh place.

 

Alexander Krieger said: “In the prologue we had some really bad weather, but I think I had a good ride uphill on the cobbles. This was the main reason that I became seventh. Today was not that fast. Unfortunately we were not able to get in the breakaway, but we stayed together the whole day. Unfortunately, we lost eachother in the final, however I still tried to get a good position for the final. It would be nice to have a top ten finish, but eleventh is also a good result. Now, we are already looking forward to tomorrow and hopefully do a little bit better.”

 

Local youngster takes mountains jersey in Luxembourg

Thomas Deruette was the man of the day for Wallonie. He joined the breakaway and scored enough points to win the mountains jersey. 

 

"I was able to catch the only two escapees, Brice Feillu (Fortuneo Vital Concept) and Etienne Van Empel (Roompot - Oranje Platoon) who has escaped early in the race, and our trio was formed after 10 kilometers," said Thomas Deruette.

 

"The course included some small climbs and 4 KOM sprints. I won three of them and was second once. I am very pleased to have been able to take the mountains jersey, my first distinctive coat in a stage race. This even happens in my country. I did the Tour of Luxembourg in 2015 with the Differdange team. I'll do my best to keep the jersey during the next two stages where the finals are hillier."