Fernando Gaviria wins opening Volta Algarve Stage

Gaviria out sprints Greipel and Bouhanni. Cavendish sits up not contesting the sprint

Fernando Gaviria of Quick-Step Floors won the opening stage of the 2.HC Volta ao Algarve ahead of Andre Greipel and Nacer Bouhanni.

The first of five stages in the race, which takes place in Portugal's Algarve region in the south of the country, led the riders from the holiday resort of Albufeira to Lagos over a distance of 180.3 kilometers.

A small breakaway with Christoph Pfingsten (Bora-hansgrohe), Justin Oien (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA), Brian van Goethem (Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij), Joao Benta (RP-Boavista) spent most of the day ahead of the peloton. Canadian Adam de Vos of Rally Cycling initially formed part of the escape group as well but allowed himself to be caught by the pack after taking the points for the mountains classification.

The peloton, with many top sprinters in its ranks, took no risk and collected the front group at about 25 kilometers from the finish in Lagos.

The finale went by without incidents and it was Fernando Gaviria to add yet another win to his palmares by beating Lotto-Soudal's Greipel and Cofidis' Bouhanni at the line, despite a late comeback by the German. The top five was completed by Dylan Groenewegen of LottoNL-Jumbo and Trek-Segafredo's John Degenkolb.

As a result, Gaviria is also the first leader in the overall classification. 

2017 Volta Ao Algarve Stage 1 Top 10 

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