Welcome to the Vuelta al Táchira! Ten days carving our way through the Venezuelan countryside in the longest stage race in the Continental Tour calendar. As is tradition, we start with an opportunity for the sprint specialists to make their mark in a route that departs and ends in the village of Umuquena, nestled in the foothills of the Cordillera de Mérida. The riders will have to twice make their way round a circuit that travels west to La Fría, then north to Orope, before looping back east to Coloncito. La Fría is one of the central municipalities in the northern part of Táchira, which is seperated from the west by the mountains. Metallurgy provides an important industrial component to a primarily agrarian economy. Despite the relative prominence of La Fría, the organisers have instead opted to award two intermediate sprints to the village of Orope.
There was some contestation when it came to who would form the morning's breakaway. Hilcona and Würth MODYF refused to allow four riders to get away. Once the weakest, Luis Esteban Murillo, was absorbed back into the peloton the remainder were given a longer leash. It is Jakub Skala, Marildo Yzeiraj and Yves Lampaert are in attendance as the live feed starts up.
Prior to the cameras coming on, the breakaway twice tackled the intermediate sprint in Orope. Although it initially appeared as though Skala would have the upperhand, with an easy victory at the first opportunity, Stela - Vita were able to make their numbers tell as the kilometres racked up. Lampaert was pulling double duties so that Yzeiraj could rest and that extra energy was enough for the latter to take the second intermediate sprint.
A number of riders had taken turns at the front of the peloton, with JEWA TIROL, Hilcona and Würth MODYF controlling the pace. In recognition of the domestique efforts which so often go unnoticed, here is a list of all those who made a contribution. Hilcona: Adrian Nitu, Casper van Uden, Alessio Martinelli, Gerben Kuypers, Joshua Huppertz JEWA TIROL: Axel Laurance, Maximilian Kabas, Axel Laurance, Stephan Rabitsch Würth MODYF: Kobe Goossens, Albin Stalberg, Tom Dumoulin Simba Cement - Tanga Fresh: Quinten Hermans, Heiko Redecker Manada Coyote: Bryan Fernando Mendoza
The favourites then, given the effort their respective teams have already invested. John Degenkolb hardly needs any introduction, a MG legend who is perhaps best remembered for having a team named after him. He's growing old now. His countryman, Alexander Krieger, is perhaps not quite as famous, but is renowned as a CT journeyman. He has been part of promoting squads four years running. Last, but not least, is Riccardo Minali. He's currently in the process of building his own career, where the other duo is nearing the ends of theirs.
It doesn't look the breakaway has much of a chance here. With twenty kilometres left the pack is less than a minute behind them. Worse yet, Yves Lampaert is unable to maintain the pace and is dropping back.
The winds of fortune certainly seem fickle today. Jakub Skala was the first to raise the pace of the breakaway and his demands have been met with spectacular results: we're approaching the five kilometre banner and the pack is still nearly 30" back. Unfortantely the Czech champion won't be able to reap the benefits of his bravery, as Marildo Yzeiraj has carried on without him.
Everything comes together with just four kilometres remaining. A courageous attempt by the escapees but it would've been quite an embarrassment for the sprinters' teams if they hadn't been reeled in. Yzeiraj had the necessary time gap, but not the necessary stamina: he has cracked. Instead we see the sprint trains forming. Right up against the roadside are the JEWA TIROL trio of Axel Laurance, Thomas Boudat and John Degenkolb. Boudat is an excellent sprinter in his own right, but his credentials as a leadoutman are non-existence as yet; there's also concerns about just how much extra weight riding on the front has added to Laurance's legs. Squeezing them against the grass are Hilcona's Joshua Huppertz and Alexander Krieger. Not nearly as prestigious a set of names and not nearly as many of them; it will be asking a lot to demand Huppertz ride at least three kilometres fulltilt before even beginning his leadout.
Indeed, Huppertz struggles for only a few hundred metres before collapsing over his handlebars. He swings left, out of the way of Krieger but straight into the midst of the JEWA TIROL train! Thomas Boudat is forced to check up and, with Krieger unwilling to face the wind just yet, Axel Laurance goes rocketing out ahead. Everybody looks at each other. Nobody moves.
Then Boudat is off! Tom Scully has managed to finagle his way in front of John Degenkolb, so there isn't anybody on his wheel.
Unlike Laurance, Boudat is perfectly capable of taking this victory for himself so Krieger senses that it is time to move. He stays in Boudat's slipstream for as long as possible before swinging out alongside the Frenchman.
Sprint Positioning at Launch (1.2km)
Krieger spent too much time in the wind and doesn't have the legs to carry himself all the way to the line. Thomas Boudat does. Even has he begins to fade the gap he forged is more than enough for him to win Stage 1 of the Vuelta al Tachira 2023. Krieger is swallowed up by the other sprinters.
Double trouble for JEWA TIROL. Degenkolb is the best of the rest and completes the 1-2. Riccardo Minali rewards his teammates' efforts by snagging the final podium spot. Adomaitis Rojus, Ivano Lo Cicero, Issiaka Cisse, Tom Scully, and Gabriel Marin round out the pointscoring positions. Krieger falls to 11th. A messy finish for JEWA TIROL, but one that was probably more successful then they could've hoped for.