As far as we can see from the start, it will be a Giro del Trentino of big names and big surprises: the first half-stage in Lienz crowned Frenchman Maxime Bouet as winner and first overall leader of the race. Bouet is a teammate of Domenico Pozzovivo, winner of last year’s edition. “Pozzovivo is our leader, and we will work for him,” told the Frenchman, who dedicated his win to his son, who will come to light in August.
The final outcome came out of an early breakaway by 8 men: Maxime Bouet (Ag2r La Mondiale), Josef Cerny (CCC Polsat), Michael Rodriguez (Team Colombia), Nicola Dal Santo (Ceramica Flaminia Fondriest), Enzo Moyano (Caja Rural), Pavel Kochetkov (Rusvelo), Jacques Janse Van Rensburg (MTN Qhubeka), Gang Xu (Champion System).
The big teams clearly played the breakaway’s chances, so the escapees were allowed to reach a maximum advantage of 8’50”, and even in the finale there was no great reaction, as the peloton finished with an almost 7 minute gap. The afternoon’s team time trial will probably slightly modify the scenario, buti t is to be seen whether Wednesday’s stage, with the uphill finish to Vetriolo, will manage to restore the order.
Meanwhile, Bouet landed the spoils in a three-man sprint, beating Czech Cerny and Colombian Rodriguez, and is now enjoying his magic moment: “I get inspired by Italian race, even if I am just off a three-week time of rest, and my condition is not outstanding. I found myself in the break, and I gave it all to play my chances, as I knew I was fast in the sprint. We got a nice advantage on the favorites, but I a unsure about my GC credentials. We will focus on our Ag2r leader Pozzovivo from today on”.
