Tour de San Luis: Chicchi clocks up Omega Pharma’s first win of 2012

Italian sprinter Francesco Chicchi has clocked up the first win of the 2012 season for the new-look Omega Pharma Quick Step team, winning into Villa Mercedes on day one of the Tour de San Luis in Argentina. The 31 year old pipped Saxo Bank’s Juan Jose Haedo by centimetres, with a photo finish needed to decide the winner.

Haedo’s compatriot Mauro Richeze (Argentina), Luis Mansilla (Chile) and Jimmy Casper (Ag2r La Mondiale) were next across the line, with those five at the head of a 33 man front group. It contained most of the big names, including defending champion Vincenzo Nibali (Liquigas Cannondale), Alberto Contador (Saxo Bank), Levi Leipheimer and Sylvain Chavanel (Omega Pharma Quick Step) plus Jose Serpa (Androni Giocattoli).

“It was a gruelling stage,” Chicchi said at the finish. “I must thank the entire team for the great work they did and the trust they placed in me. We attacked with about 50 kilometres to go to the finish, with team Saxo Bank taking advantage of the wind. My team mates did a splendid job and we managed to break up the group into several parts.

“When I lifted my head I would see athletes in front of me like Chavanel, Leipheimer and Boonen, all working for me, and my only thought was that I couldn't let them down. Having a last man like Boonen was super. Tom launched me perfectly. In the final metres I saw that Haedo was catching up to me. So I gave it everything I had and managed to just barely stay ahead of him. It's an enormous joy.”

The peloton headed to Argentina expecting warmer conditions than Europe, but instead found themselves dealing with hailstones, heavy rain and strong winds. Argentinean Emmanuel Guevara (San Luis Somos Todos) was determined to try something, though, and had a lead of over five minutes by the time he reached the sole King of the Mountains climb, 41.3 kilometres after the start.

He was eventually joined by his teammate Maximiliano Badde and Uruguay’s Cesar Berti and together the three riders added another six minutes to the lead.

However the peloton responded and ramped up the pace, gradually hauling the move back. Guevara’s time out front saw him crack first, while the other two were caught half an hour from the finish.

Speaking afterwards, Saxo Bank’s Troels Vinther said that it was a very tough day. “It reminded me of a Belgian spring Classic in terms of weather conditions, and the numerous crashes didn't make it that much more entertaining,” he said, “but luckily we got through the stage without injuries.”

He was involved in driving the pace in the cross winds. Other riders also did likewise and eventually the peloton split under the pressure, leading to big time gaps. The 39th-placed finisher led home a big group two minutes and nine seconds back, while another very sizeable bunch of riders was one minute 59 seconds behind.

Many have lost time, but Chicchi is not one of those; instead, he’s in the driving seat, ending the day four seconds clear of Haedo and a further two up on Richeze.

“I felt really well,” he said. “During the winter, both in the team camps and at home I worked really hard to regain my feelings for victory. The specific work we did has given the desired results. I'm happy that I gave the team their first 2012 success. I'm going to remember this victory for a long time.

“ For more than a year I hadn't been able to clinch a victory. Now I hope the situation can change. Argentina is lucky for me. I also won here in 2010. Now we can look ahead to the next stages with more serenity. The team is in good shape and we are all highly motivated. In the next few days we're going to try to do some more good things.”

He may well have another chance tomorrow, with a 145.3 kilometre race between Fraga and Juana Koslay anticipated as a possible bunch finish.