The Austrian Felix Grossschartner (Bora) won the first stage of the Tour of Burgos on Tuesday, starting and finishing in this city, to become the leader in the first international race after the coronavirus pandemic.
Grosschartner surprised the peloton on the climb to the Castillo de Burgos viewpoint to cross the finish line ahead of the Portuguese Joao Almeida (Deceunink-Quick Step) and the Spanish Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), who was third.
The stage was marked by a massive fall, which led to the withdrawal of the Colombian Sebastián Henao (Ineos) and the Dutchman Gijs Leemreize (Jumbo-Visma).
Before departure, the Israeli SN team withdrew “as a precaution” to Itamar Einhorn, who had recently been in contact with his partner Omer Goldstein, until now asymptomatic but tested positive for Covid-19 and was quarantined on Monday. The tests to which Einhorn was subjected have given negative.
The pandemic has led to taking all kinds of precautions in restarting the cycling competition at the highest level with temperature measurements, masks, safety distance from the public, etc.
During the stage, the young Belgian pearl Remco Evenepoel tried to surprise the peloton about 35 kilometers from the finish line, in a stage with a lot of movement and marked by the wind.
Evenepoel soon secured a forty-second lead, before slowing down and rejoining the platoon a dozen kilometers later.
The second stage, of 168 km, will take place on Wednesday between Castrojeriz and Villadiego, completely flat and conducive to the sprinters.
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