Donoratico, March 6, 2013 (AFP) – British sprint ace Mark Cavendish is the
first leader of the Tirreno-Adriatico race after his Omega Pharma team won the
opening team time-trial over 16.9km from San Vincenzo to Donoratico on
Wednesday.
The former world road-race champion led his teammates over the finish line
in 19min 24sec, 11sec ahead of Movistar with the BMC team of former Tour de
France winner Cadel Evans coming home third at 16sec.
The winner paid tribute to world time-trial champion and German teammate
Tony Martin.
“It’s a very happy day for us, we’re the world champions in this
discipline, Tony Martin did fantastic work but everyone was exceptional,” said
Cavendish.
Cavendish is not expected to hold onto the lead in the week-long event
which features three former Tour de France winners.
As well as Evans of Australia, Spaniard Alberto Contador and Andy Schleck
of Luxemburg are also in the field as well as last year’s Paris-Nice winner,
Vincenzo Nibali and Team Sky’s Chris Froome.
Nibali of Italy and the Astana team finished fifth, 20sec back with Tour de
France runner-up Froome, in the Sky line-up that finished seventh at 25sec.
Contador’s Saxo Bank team finished next 29sec behind with Schleck’s
RadioShack in 10th, 36sec off the pace
Results from the opening stage of
the Tirreno-Adriatico, a 16.9km ride from San Vincenzo to Donoratico on
Wednesday:
Stage
1. Omega Pharma 19min 24sec, 2. Movistar at 11sec, 3. BMC 16, 4. Cannondale
18, 5. Orica-GreenEdge 24, 6. Sky 25, 7. Saxo Bank 29, 8. Lampre 35, 9.
RadioShack 36, 10. Blanco 37