The scene is unusual to say the least. While he thought he had won the stage and could celebrate his victory, the Spanish cyclist Eduard Prades lost everything in a fraction of a second. In reality, the rider from the Caja Rural-Seguros RGA team only finished second, far, far behind New Zealander Aaron Gate, solo winner with 1 minute and 46 seconds ahead.
Worse, by letting his joy burst in the end, Eduard Prades was unbalanced, it seems by the breakage of his seatpost, and fell from his bike. He ended up on the ground, supported by other runners who came after him. Even if he does not seem to suffer from any injury, the Spaniard will probably remember this double error on the finish line for a long time.
The Tour of Greece made its big comeback today on the calendar of the International Cycling Union after 10 years of absence. The first stage, 190 km long, took place in Crete and linked Heraklion to Chania. Tomorrow, the runners will cover 165 km, between Marousi and Itea.
Aaron Gate is therefore at the top of the classification and will wear the leader’s blue jersey tomorrow. Overall, he is ahead of Eduard Prades and the Italian Filippo Baroncini, from the Trek-Segafredo team, 3rd in the stage.
