Ethan Vernon (Israel Premier-Tech) won the first stage of the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes et du Var. Sean Flynn (Team dsm-firmenich PostNL) came second, Vincenzo Albanese (Arkéa-B&B Hotels) third.
With a distance of 165 kilometers covered between Levens and Antibes, the first stage of the Tour des Alpes-Maritimes led one to believe that the final result would be decided in a sprint between the competitors, and that was what happened.
The escape of the day
About 60 km after the start of the stage, a pair stood out and took the lead of the race. Composed of Andrea Mifsud, (Nice Metropole-Côte d’Azur), and Morné Van Niekerk, (St Michel – Mavic – Auber93), the duo maintained a considerable distance from the peloton.
However, with just 17km to the finish line, Van Niekerk was unable to match Mifsud’s pace and fell behind.
Despite having resisted bravely, Mifsud ended up being caught by the peloton just a kilometer and a half from the finish line. This was mainly thanks to the tireless work of the Israel Premier-Tech team.
Vernon’s Victory
After his team’s exceptional work to neutralize Mifsud’s escape, Ethan Vernon took the opportunity to shine. In an exciting sprint, the British cyclist showed why he was one of Soudal Quick-Step’s marquee signings, beating Sean Flynn and Vincenzo Albanese to win the stage.
The race ends this Sunday with the 2nd stage of 131km between Villefranche Sur Mer and Vence.
Watch the arrival
Results of the 1st stage of the Tour des Alpes Maritimes
