Parthenay (France) (AFP)

The Italian Elia Viviani (Cofidis) donned the white jersey of the leader of the Tour du Poitou-Charentes cyclist after his victory in the sprint during the first stage disputed Tuesday between Pons and Parthenay over 198.4 km.

Viviani, already winner of two stages in this event in 2017, proved to be the strongest to lead on the line her compatriot and teammate at Cofidis Simone Consonni and the French Marc Sarreau (AG2R Citroën Team).

This success is the fourth of the season for the 32-year-old Transalpine, bronze medalist in the omnium at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

This first stage, run on the headwind and animated by two breakaways of three riders including the Danish active Robin Skivild (Uno-X Pro Cycling Team), was marked by a collective fall four kilometers from the finish which completely disrupted the race. peloton and delayed a good number of sprinters and time specialists who lost a lot for the time trial on Thursday afternoon.

Thus, the French Bruno Armirail (Groupama - FDJ) and Pierre Latour (Total Énergies) conceded 28 and 52 seconds respectively to the new leader.

For his part, Austrian rider Matthias Brandle (Israel Start-Up Nation), who arrived at the same time as Viviani, is now the favorite for the final standings.

© 2021 AFP