Stage one of the 2016 Tour de Normandie was bittersweet for Madison Genesis as Tom Stewart and Erick Rowsell remained in the race for general classification, but Tristan Robbins and Alex Blain were forced to abandon with sickness.
Stage one of the 2016 Tour de Normandie was bittersweet for Madison Genesis as Tom Stewart and Erick Rowsell remained in the race for general classification, but Tristan Robbins and Alex Blain were forced to abandon with sickness.
Robbins was sent home after the prologue on Monday evening, while Blain made it to the start of stage one but was forced to climb off midway through Tuesday’s 201-kilometre route to Forge-les-Eaux.
The retirements came in an otherwise uneventful opening road test, where the peloton allowed the breakaway over ten minutes, before closing the gap to set up a sprint finish.
With Stewart, Rowsell, Taylor Gunman and Felix English safe in the bunch, the chance of a result in Normandie remains alive ahead of tomorrow’s stage two. The 167-kilometre route finishes with three laps of a circuit in Elbeuf-sue-Seine, featuring a 10% ramp which could create the first significant time gaps.
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Result - Tour de Normandie stage 1
Mondeville - Forges-les-Eaux (201km)
1. Timothy Dupont (Verandas Willems) 05:17.37
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50. Tom Stewart ST
67. Erick Rowsell ST
106. Taylor Gunman ST
139. Felix English +00:03.54
Alex Blain DNF
Tristan Robbins DNS
General classification
1. Lucas Liss (Equipe National d'Allemagne) 05:25.34
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7. Tom Stewart +00:00.12
18. Erick Rowsell +00:00.15
82. Taylor Gunman +00:00.37
139. Felix English +00:04.56