BORA-hansgrohe Team (Germany) - Press Release: A 168.1km circuitous parcours was waiting for the riders on the first road stage of the Tour de Romandie. The race would ascend the third category 3 La Rasse climb before taking on four laps of a 33km circuit over two third category climbs before a final push to the finish line in Martigny. While the stage looked like one for the sprinters, this didn’t stop a group of six brave riders going it alone almost as soon as the stage started. Having built up a lead of more than six minutes in the opening 50km, the peloton kicked into action, to slowly reduce the time gap, which fell to four minutes with 100km to go. As the breakaway riders began to attack each other with 50km to go, Juraj Sagan and Jordi Meeus took to the front of the peloton to help bring them back, his efforts seeing the escape’s advantage fall to two minutes, before hitting one minute with 35km left to race. In spite of the break’s last-ditch efforts and one rider desperately holding on, with Marcus Burghardt and Ben Zwiehoff pushing the pace, it was all back together just as the race completed the final lap of the circuit and started the flat 22km drive to the finish line. The fast pace saw splits in the peloton, as well as attacks, but with Ben driving the pace on the front to prevent further attacks, Peter Sagan was staying safe and making sure he was in contention for when the flamme rouge appeared on the horizon. With the metres counting down, the Slovak rider picked his moment perfectly, putting the power down and distancing his rivals, coming from four riders back to take a clear victory. Finishing safely with the bunch and not losing any time today, Wilco Kelderman would have his sights set on the coming mountain stages, with the GC race set to take shape here.

Results:

1. P.Sagan: 4h12’40” 
2. S.Colbrelli: + 0:00 
3. P.Bevin: + 0:00