Grabbing his seventeenth UCI-ranked win of the season today, André Greipel powered to victory on the opening stage of the Tour of Denmark. The Lotto Belisol sprinter raced the finish in Randers just ahead of Alexander Kristoff (Katusha Team), Theo Bos (Rabobank Cycling Team) and Sky’s Luke Rowe, grabbing both stage success and the first leader’s jersey in the race.
“Francis De Greef was pulling the peloton all day to catch the breakaway. It was pretty tough with the wind,” said Greipel. “The last 700 meters were uphill…we had a really nice lead-out train and we could finish it off. The team brought me up to 200 meters to go, and then I started my sprint.”
World road race champion Mark Cavendish and his Sky team tried to contest the sprint but the Manxman was held up by a crash approximately three kilometres from the line. He didn't fall, but lost his chance.
“I'm happy about my performance today,” said runner-up Kristoff. “I was in a perfect position for the final sprint…I was behind Greipel and in the end I tried to pass him, but he was simply too strong and he deserved to win.
“Anyways I'm satisfied with the second position, the team worked great and I will try again for sure, starting with tomorrow's stage.”
The 191 kilometre race began with an attack by Jacob Nielsen (Blue Water Cycling), Morten Høberg (Team Concordia Forsikring Himmerland), Jesper Mørkøv (Team Post Danmark) and Paolo Locatelli (Colnago – CSF Inox).
They built a nine minute lead after 57 minutes of racing, but chasing by Lotto Belisol and Team Sky brought this steadily down. They were eventually caught 14 kilometres from the end. Chris Juul Jensen (Saxo Bank Tinkoff Bank), Lars-Petter Nordhaug (Team Sky), Andrew Fenn (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) and Michael Reihs (Christina Watches-Onfone) then clipped away, but were hauled back in soon afterwards.
The sprinters’ teams controlled subsequent attempts to break their hold on the race, but Cavendish’s Sky riders were foiled when a big crash delayed their top rider.
Greipel had no such problems and was strongest in the final push for the line, clocking up yet another win in a very big season for him.
“We'll see what happens the next few stages,” he said, talking about the strategy going forward. “We wanted to get a win, and we succeeded. Now we're going to try to bring Lars Bak in a good position for the GC. That's what we'll do in the upcoming stages."
Kristoff pledged to try again, saying he hopes to clock up a victory before the race ends and that he has an important advisor.
“My teammate Freire is helping me with some suggestions and, during the race, his help is precious. I think with some more races he will be ready for World Championships, his real goal.”
Tour of Denmark (2.HC)
Stage 1, Randers:
1, Andre Greipel (Lotto Belisol Team) 191 kilometres in 4 hours 55 mins 6 secs
2, Alexander Kristoff (Katusha Team)
3, Theo Bos (Rabobank Cycling Team)
4, Luke Rowe (Sky Procycling)
5, Stefan Schumacher (Christina Watches - Onfone)
6, Matteo Pelucchi (Team Europcar)
7, Tom Van Asbroeck (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator)
8, Jonas Aaen Jørgensen (Team Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank)
9, Nikolay Trusov (RusVelo)
10, Ramunas Navardauskas (Garmin-Sharp)
11, Sébastien Turgot (Team Europcar)
12, Michael Van Staeyen (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator)
13, Jonathan Cantwell (Team Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank)
14, Nicola Boem (Colnago - CSF Inox)
15, Laurens De Vreese (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator)
16, Wilco Kelderman (Rabobank Cycling Team)
17, Rasmus Guldhammer (Christina Watches - Onfone)
18, Eliot Lietaer (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator)
19, Wesley Kreder (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
20, Jos Van Emden (Rabobank Cycling Team)
21, Michael Rogers (Sky Procycling)
22, Morten Øllegaard (Team Concordia Forsikring - Himmerland)
23, Lieuwe Tt Westra (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
24, David Veilleux (Team Europcar)
25, Alexander Porsev (Katusha Team)
26, Michael Rasmussen (Christina Watches - Onfone)
27, Lars Bak (Lotto Belisol Team)
28, Tom Rr Boonen (Omega Pharma - Quickstep)
29, Mads Christensen (Team Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank)
30, Michal Rr Golas (Omega Pharma - Quickstep)
31, Mathias Lisson (Denmark)
32, Manuele Boaro (Team Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank)
33, Vladimir Gusev (Katusha Team)
34, Björn Thurau (Team Europcar)
35, Martin Mortensen (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
36, Gustav Larsson (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
37, Maarten Wynants (Rabobank Cycling Team)
38, Stefan Denifl (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
39, Thomas Frei (Christina Watches - Onfone)
40, Rafaa Chtioui (Team Europcar)
41, Michael Mørkøv (Team Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank)
42, Jaroslaw Marycz (Team Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank)
43, Alexey Tsatevich (Katusha Team)
44, Barry Markus (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
45, Mark Sehested Pedersen (Blue Water Cycling)
46, Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator)
47, Andreas Klier (Garmin-Sharp)
48, Sven Vandousselaere (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator)
49, Nikola Aistrup (Team Concordia Forsikring - Himmerland)
50, Jesper Odgaard Nielsen (Blue Water Cycling)
51, Stijn Vandenbergh (Omega Pharma - Quickstep)
52, Tom Leezer (Rabobank Cycling Team)
53, Florian Senechal (Omega Pharma - Quickstep)
54, Viktor Manokov (RusVelo)
55, Greg Henderson (Lotto Belisol Team)
56, Jelle Vanendert (Lotto Belisol Team)
57, Marco Coledan (Colnago - CSF Inox)
58, Christian Delle Stelle (Colnago - CSF Inox)
59, Andrew Fenn (Omega Pharma - Quickstep)
60, Marcel Sieberg (Lotto Belisol Team)
61, Valery Kaykov (RusVelo)
62, Mads Meyer (Denmark)
63, Mark Cavendish (Sky Procycling)
64, Lasse Bøchman (Glud & Marstrand - LRO)
65, Stijn Neirynck (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator)
66, Artur Ershov (RusVelo)
67, Bert Grabsch (Omega Pharma - Quickstep)
68, Oscar Freire Gomez (Katusha Team)
69, Robbie Hunter (Garmin-Sharp)
70, Murilo Fischer (Garmin-Sharp)
71, Alexey Markov (RusVelo)
72, Casper Degn Larsen (Blue Water Cycling)
73, Graeme Brown (Rabobank Cycling Team)
74, Maxim Belkov (Katusha Team)
75, Rasmus Quaade (Blue Water Cycling)
76, Coen Vermeltfoort (Rabobank Cycling Team)
77, Jelle Wallays (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator)
78, Sebastian Lander (Glud & Marstrand - LRO)
79, Francis De Greef (Lotto Belisol Team)
80, Dennis Vanendert (Lotto Belisol Team)
81, Steele Von Hoff (Garmin-Sharp)
82, Lars-Petter Nordhaug (Sky Procycling)
83, Alexander Mørk (Denmark)
84, André Steensen (Glud & Marstrand - LRO)
85, Christian Ranneries (Team Concordia Forsikring - Himmerland)
86, Kristian Haugaard (Denmark)
87, Christian Jersild Jensen (Blue Water Cycling)
88, Juan José Haedo (Team Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank)
89, Sacha Modolo (Colnago - CSF Inox)
90, Anton Vorobyev (Katusha Team)
91, Iljo Keisse (Omega Pharma - Quickstep)
92, Søren Pugdahl Pedersen (Blue Water Cycling)
93, Jesper Mørkøv (Denmark)
94, Maxime Vantomme (Katusha Team)
95, Alexander Serov (RusVelo)
96, Omar Lombardi (Colnago - CSF Inox)
97, Rick Flens (Rabobank Cycling Team)
98, Christopher Juul-Jensen (Team Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank)
99, Damien Gaudin (Team Europcar)
100, Jonas Van Genechten (Lotto Belisol Team)
101, Marco Bandiera (Omega Pharma - Quickstep) at 3 mins 25 secs
102, Davide Martinelli (Sky Procycling)
103, Kasper Linde Jørgensen (Glud & Marstrand - LRO)
104, Rasmus Sterebo (Glud & Marstrand - LRO)
105, Kasper Schjønnemann (Team Concordia Forsikring - Himmerland)
106, Mikkel Mortensen (Team Concordia Forsikring - Himmerland)
107, Damsbo Magnus Lund (Denmark)
108, Scully Tomas (Garmin-Sharp)
109, Jacob Rathe (Garmin-Sharp)
110, Simon Eiby (Denmark)
111, Tony Hurel (Team Europcar)
112, Sebastian Rosseler (Garmin-Sharp)
113, Bernhard Eisel (Sky Procycling) at 4 mins 39 secs
114, Geraint Thomas (Sky Procycling)
115, Michael Reihs (Christina Watches - Onfone)
116, Peter Kennaugh (Sky Procycling) at 4 mins 40 secs
117, Mathias Gade Jacobsen (Glud & Marstrand - LRO)
118, Christian Moberg Jørgensen (Glud & Marstrand - LRO)
119, Michael Valgren Andersen (Glud & Marstrand - LRO)
120, Sonny Colbrelli (Colnago - CSF Inox)
121, Angelo Furlan (Christina Watches - Onfone)
122, Jasper Hamelink (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
123, Sebastian Balck (Team Concordia Forsikring - Himmerland)
124, Casper Folsach (Team Concordia Forsikring - Himmerland) at 5 mins 24 secs
125, Frederik Thalund Jensen (Blue Water Cycling)
126, Morten Høberg (Team Concordia Forsikring - Himmerland) at 5 mins 52 secs
127, Jacob Nielsen (Blue Water Cycling) at 5 mins 56 secs
128, Markus Kilsgaard (Denmark)
129, Andrea De Corrado (Colnago - CSF Inox)
130, Daniel Holm Foder (Christina Watches - Onfone)
131, Martin Pedersen (Christina Watches - Onfone)
132, Jacek Morajko (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
DNF Paolo Locatelli (Colnago - CSF Inox)
General classification after stage 1:
1, Andre Greipel (Lotto Belisol Team) 4 hours 54 mins 56 secs
2, Alexander Kristoff (Katusha Team) at 4 secs
3, Jesper Mørkøv (Denmark)
4, Theo Bos (Rabobank Cycling Team) at 6 secs
5, Luke Rowe (Sky Procycling) at 10 secs
6, Stefan Schumacher (Christina Watches - Onfone)
7, Matteo Pelucchi (Team Europcar)
8, Tom Van Asbroeck (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator)
9, Jonas Aaen Jørgensen (Team Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank)
10, Nikolay Trusov (RusVelo)
11, Ramunas Navardauskas (Garmin-Sharp)
12, Sébastien Turgot (Team Europcar)
13, Michael Van Staeyen (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator)
14, Jonathan Cantwell (Team Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank)
15, Nicola Boem (Colnago - CSF Inox)
16, Laurens De Vreese (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator)
17, Wilco Kelderman (Rabobank Cycling Team)
18, Rasmus Guldhammer (Christina Watches - Onfone)
19, Eliot Lietaer (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator)
20, Wesley Kreder (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
21, Jos Van Emden (Rabobank Cycling Team)
22, Michael Rogers (Sky Procycling)
23, Morten Øllegaard (Team Concordia Forsikring - Himmerland)
24, Lieuwe Tt Westra (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
25, David Veilleux (Team Europcar)
26, Alexander Porsev (Katusha Team)
27, Michael Rasmussen (Christina Watches - Onfone)
28, Lars Bak (Lotto Belisol Team)
29, Tom Rr Boonen (Omega Pharma - Quickstep)
30, Mads Christensen (Team Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank)
31, Michal Rr Golas (Omega Pharma - Quickstep)
32, Mathias Lisson (Denmark)
33, Manuele Boaro (Team Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank)
34, Vladimir Gusev (Katusha Team)
35, Björn Thurau (Team Europcar)
36, Martin Mortensen (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
37, Gustav Larsson (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
38, Maarten Wynants (Rabobank Cycling Team)
39, Stefan Denifl (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
40, Thomas Frei (Christina Watches - Onfone)
41, Rafaa Chtioui (Team Europcar)
42, Michael Mørkøv (Team Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank)
43, Jaroslaw Marycz (Team Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank)
44, Alexey Tsatevich (Katusha Team)
45, Barry Markus (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
46, Mark Sehested Pedersen (Blue Water Cycling)
47, Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator)
48, Andreas Klier (Garmin-Sharp)
49, Sven Vandousselaere (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator)
50, Nikola Aistrup (Team Concordia Forsikring - Himmerland)
51, Jesper Odgaard Nielsen (Blue Water Cycling)
52, Stijn Vandenbergh (Omega Pharma - Quickstep)
53, Tom Leezer (Rabobank Cycling Team)
54, Florian Senechal (Omega Pharma - Quickstep)
55, Viktor Manokov (RusVelo)
56, Greg Henderson (Lotto Belisol Team)
57, Jelle Vanendert (Lotto Belisol Team)
58, Marco Coledan (Colnago - CSF Inox)
59, Christian Delle Stelle (Colnago - CSF Inox)
60, Andrew Fenn (Omega Pharma - Quickstep)
61, Marcel Sieberg (Lotto Belisol Team)
62, Valery Kaykov (RusVelo)
63, Mads Meyer (Denmark)
64, Mark Cavendish (Sky Procycling)
65, Lasse Bøchman (Glud & Marstrand - LRO)
66, Stijn Neirynck (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator)
67, Artur Ershov (RusVelo)
68, Bert Grabsch (Omega Pharma - Quickstep)
69, Oscar Freire Gomez (Katusha Team)
70, Robbie Hunter (Garmin-Sharp)
71, Murilo Fischer (Garmin-Sharp)
72, Alexey Markov (RusVelo)
73, Casper Degn Larsen (Blue Water Cycling)
74, Graeme Brown (Rabobank Cycling Team)
75, Maxim Belkov (Katusha Team)
76, Rasmus Quaade (Blue Water Cycling)
77, Coen Vermeltfoort (Rabobank Cycling Team)
78, Jelle Wallays (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator)
79, Sebastian Lander (Glud & Marstrand - LRO)
80, Francis De Greef (Lotto Belisol Team)
81, Dennis Vanendert (Lotto Belisol Team)
82, Steele Von Hoff (Garmin-Sharp)
83, Lars-Petter Nordhaug (Sky Procycling)
84, Alexander Mørk (Denmark)
85, André Steensen (Glud & Marstrand - LRO)
86, Christian Ranneries (Team Concordia Forsikring - Himmerland)
87, Kristian Haugaard (Denmark)
88, Christian Jersild Jensen (Blue Water Cycling)
89, Juan José Haedo (Team Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank)
90, Sacha Modolo (Colnago - CSF Inox)
91, Anton Vorobyev (Katusha Team)
92, Iljo Keisse (Omega Pharma - Quickstep)
93, Søren Pugdahl Pedersen (Blue Water Cycling)
94, Maxime Vantomme (Katusha Team)
95, Alexander Serov (RusVelo)
96, Omar Lombardi (Colnago - CSF Inox)
97, Rick Flens (Rabobank Cycling Team)
98, Christopher Juul-Jensen (Team Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank)
99, Damien Gaudin (Team Europcar)
100, Jonas Van Genechten (Lotto Belisol Team)
101, Davide Martinelli (Sky Procycling)
102, Kasper Linde Jørgensen (Glud & Marstrand - LRO)
103, Rasmus Sterebo (Glud & Marstrand - LRO)
104, Kasper Schjønnemann (Team Concordia Forsikring - Himmerland)
105, Mikkel Mortensen (Team Concordia Forsikring - Himmerland)
106, Damsbo Magnus Lund (Denmark)
107, Scully Tomas (Garmin-Sharp)
108, Jacob Rathe (Garmin-Sharp)
109, Simon Eiby (Denmark)
110, Tony Hurel (Team Europcar)
111, Sebastian Rosseler (Garmin-Sharp)
112, Michael Reihs (Christina Watches - Onfone)
113, Mathias Gade Jacobsen (Glud & Marstrand - LRO)
114, Christian Moberg Jørgensen (Glud & Marstrand - LRO)
115, Michael Valgren Andersen (Glud & Marstrand - LRO)
116, Sonny Colbrelli (Colnago - CSF Inox)
117, Angelo Furlan (Christina Watches - Onfone)
118, Jasper Hamelink (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
119, Sebastian Balck (Team Concordia Forsikring - Himmerland)
120, Frederik Thalund Jensen (Blue Water Cycling)
121, Markus Kilsgaard (Denmark)
122, Andrea De Corrado (Colnago - CSF Inox)
123, Daniel Holm Foder (Christina Watches - Onfone)
124, Martin Pedersen (Christina Watches - Onfone)
125, Jacek Morajko (Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team)
126, Marco Bandiera (Omega Pharma - Quickstep) at 3 mins 35 secs
127, Bernhard Eisel (Sky Procycling) at 4 mins 49 secs
128, Geraint Thomas (Sky Procycling)
129, Peter Kennaugh (Sky Procycling) at 4 mins 50 secs
130, Casper Folsach (Team Concordia Forsikring - Himmerland) at 5 mins 34 secs
131, Morten Høberg (Team Concordia Forsikring - Himmerland) at 6 mins 0 secs
132, Jacob Nielsen (Blue Water Cycling) at 6 mins 2 secs
Points:
1, Andre Greipel (Lotto Belisol Team) 15 pts
2, Alexander Kristoff (Katusha Team) 12
3, Theo Bos (Rabobank Cycling Team) 10
4, Jesper Mørkøv (Denmark) 10
5, Luke Rowe (Sky Procycling) 9
6, Stefan Schumacher (Christina Watches - Onfone) 8
7, Matteo Pelucchi (Team Europcar) 7
8, Tom Van Asbroeck (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator) 6
9, Jacob Nielsen (Blue Water Cycling) 6
10, Jonas Aaen Jørgensen (Team Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank) 5
Mountains:
1, Morten Høberg (Team Concordia Forsikring - Himmerland) 36 pts
2, Jacob Nielsen (Blue Water Cycling) 26
3, Jesper Mørkøv (Denmark) 18
Young rider:
1, Luke Rowe (Sky Procycling) at 4 hours 55 mins 6 secs
2, Tom Van Asbroeck (Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator)
3, Wilco Kelderman (Rabobank Cycling Team)
Teams:
1, Topsport Vlaanderen – Mercator, 14 hours 45 mins 18 secs
2, Rabobank Cycling Team
3, Team Europcar
4, Christina Watches - Onfone
5, Team Saxo Bank - Tinkoff Bank
6, Katusha Team
7, Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
8, Lotto Belisol Team
9, Sky Procycling
10, Omega Pharma - Quickstep
11, RusVelo
12, Garmin-Sharp
13, Colnago - CSF Inox
14, Team Concordia Forsikring - Himmerland
15, Blue Water Cycling
16, Denmark
17, Glud & Marstrand - LRO