Alejandro Marque, from Carmim/Prio/Tavira, finished today in 10th position, with the same time as the winner Bruno Lima (Onda/Boavista), the 1st stage of the 4th GP Liberty Seguros that started today in Póvoa de Varzim.
The first stage started and ended at Avenida dos Banhos, the same place where Samuel Caldeira was victorious at Clássica da Primavera.
Poveiro Bruno Lima (Onda-Boavista) won this first stage of the Liberty Seguros Grand Prix in the sprint, after 121 kilometers with the start of the final in Póvoa de Varzim, being the first leader of the competition.
The sprinter boavisteiro gave the team the first victory of the year, completing the course in 3h04m56s, at an average of 39,420 km/h. Marco Cunha (Liberty Seguros/Feira/Specialized) was second and Sérgio Ribeiro (Efapel-Glassdrive) closed the podium. As there are no bonuses in this race, all cyclists who today finished in the front group follow with the same time.
With the listless professional teams in the field, it was the youth from the club teams who animated the start of the trip. Pedro Morgado (Maia / Andrade Bicycles), Rui Barros (ASC / KTM / Vitória), Filipe Oliveira and Moreno Ribeiro (CC José Maria Nicolau) left the group with ten kilometers covered and made the escape.
The trail began to dismember itself after the only mountain count of the day, where Pedro Morgado asserted himself, earning him a rise to the podium as the best climber.
After the climb, Filipe Oliveira was left at the front of the race, but the cyclist from the Cartaxo team was unable to evade the peloton, which managed to regroup at kilometer 95. Then, skirmishes followed, with emphasis on an attempt by the Spaniard Enrique Salgueiro ( LA-Antarte). But nothing could contradict what was expected from the beginning, a arrival in the sprint with a compact squad.
In addition to Pedro Morgado, the remaining secondary classifications are held by João Matias (ASC/KTM/Vitória), fourth in the stage and overall and best young man in the competition, and by Liberty Seguros/Feira/Specialized, who leads by teams.
The second stage will run tomorrow over 118 kilometers, starting and ending in Lordelo, Paredes. The double passage through Alto do Cruzeiro, in the approach to the goal, should be decisive and cause time differences between the candidates.
Comments