Tour de France, stage 1 – Leigh Howard – I wanted to go for the polka dot jersey –

THE ESCAPEE

Leigh Howard. The 26 year old Australian, who was selected to ride the Tour at the last minute due to the illness of Dries Devenyns, proudly flew the colors of IAM Cycling at the front of the race. Having escaped with two other riders from the drop of the start flag, Howard stayed off the front for over 150 kilometers before being swept up again by the peloton.

THE EXPLANATION

“I wanted to go for the climber’s polka dot jersey first,” Leigh Howard explained before boarding the team bus. “For the first opportunity, I did not arrive in time to follow the German rider, and then we were missing 5 kilometers before the second KOM. When the five of us regrouped, we tried our best to ride for the stage, but the pack kept us on a tight leash.”

THE EXCLIMATION

“I am still disappointed because I saw that this stage was one where I should play for the win,” exclaimed Sondre Holst Enger while he was cooling down after the first stage, which was won by Mark Cavendish (Dimension Data). “At the finish I was positioned well for the finale. Bad luck got in the way, though because three or four riders crashed right in front of me. It was therefore impossible to participate in the final dash for victory.”

THE ANALYSIS

According to Rik Verbrugghe, sports manager of IAM Cycling: “We played the stage both ways. This proved difficult for Leigh Howard to have a go to get the polka dot jersey because of both the riders from Bora-Argon 18. Then for victory, Sondre Holst Enger encountered some problems when riders crashed in front of him. The stage was very nervous, and luckily we did not have any wounded riders in our ranks.”

THE NUMBER

22 – That is the number of birthday candles Sondre Holst Enger blew out 229 days ago, making him the youngest rider of the 103rd edition of the Tour de France.

THE MENU FOR THE DAY

The route for the second stage between Saint-Lô and Cherbourg-in-Corentin will cover 183 kilometers, including a tortuous final three kilometer climb that will include sections of 14% gradients.

Pictures – Merot/IAM & BettiniPhoto