Fernando Gaviria of Quick Step has won the opening stage of the 36th Vuelta a San Juan.
This annual race in Argentina was back on the calendar with a 2.1 category and started with a 148km stage from San Juan to Pocito.
Vincenzo Nibali was due to start but was too ill after going down with a fever and did not start a race which saw a break of seven in Adrian Richeze, Duilio Ramos, Daniel Juárez, Juan Melivillo, Facundo Cattapan, Victor Olivares and Pablo Anchieri get away.
Adrian Richeze took the first sprint ahead of Daniel Juarez and Uruguyan Pablo Anchieri on a sunny day and on flat roads with a lead of just under four minutes.
The gap was at 1.55 to the peloton which had Bora Hansgrohe and Quick Step riders on the front with 102kms to go.
Daniel Juárez, took the five points on offer on the first climb of the race before Richeze took the second sprint.
With 32kms left, the gap to the six up front after Juárez returned to the pelotón, was at 1.39.
The pelotón put the hammer down and caught the break inside the final seventeen kilometres.
The sprint trains got together and Fernando Gaviria took the win in 3.15.23 ahead of Bonifazio and Pelucchi.
Kev Monks for Digital Sports Group
Source: DSG
