(Belgium) Eritrea’s Beniam Germay (Inmarché-Circus-Wanty) won stage one of the 189.4km Tour of Valencia (2.Pro) between Orihuela and Altea on Wednesday in Spain.
From the first kilometres, a five-rider breakaway was formed with Ward Vanhoef (Team Flanders-Baloise), Italian Ricard Luca (Green Project-Bardiani-CSF) and Spaniards Hector Carretero (Kern Pharma), Xabir Essasa (Euscaltil-Euskade) and Ander Okameka (Burgos- Bosnia and Herzegovina). With the ascent to the Coll de Rate, the Separatists’ advance was greatly reduced. Carretero then tried his luck alone as his breakaway companions were swallowed up by the peloton. Then the Spaniard was caught 65 km from the finish. The victory was decided in a massive sprint, won by Beniam Jermay, ahead of Dutchman Olaf Koeij (Jumbo-Visma) and Spaniard Ivan García Cortina (Movistar). The Eritrean seized the opportunity to claim his first win of the season, the tenth of his career. Thus, Intermarché-Circus-Wanty recorded its fourth victory of the season after the success of Portugal’s Rui Costa in Trofeo Calvia and Kobe Gosens in Trofeo Andratx and Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana. On Thursday, stage two will book a new uneven course for the peloton at 178.2km between Novelda and the Alto de Pinos summit. The 74th running of the Valencia Community Tour will conclude on Sunday with a 93.2km stage between Paterna and Valencia. Russia’s Alexander Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) won the general classification in 2022 ahead of Remko Evenpoel (Soudal Quick-Step). Favorite
