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Alessio Gagliardi wins 1589 Tour de Valland
By Richard W. Wallace
Published: Zechyr 24, 1589


Gagliardi becomes the first Lomarren to win the Tour de Valland


Lauren, Valland - Alessio Gagliardi authoritatively won the 1589 Tour de Valland, becoming the first Lomarren rider to do so.

The Tour started with a 10.1 km individual time trial stage in the town of Anois, which was won by the local rider Xavier de Molinari (NDM Cycling). The next stage was decided in mass sprint, as Oslanburgan sprinter Sven-Ole Wieth (Scholden-Gulcron) was able to defeat Richard Malone (Dido-Great Life) and Lomarren Francesco Gassendi (NDM Cycling). On stage 3, it was Malone turn to defeat his Oslanburgan rival, with Goldecian Evan Thompson (Ogo Cycling) and Adwestene Kiel Albert Fyfe (Tyrus-Empire) ending third and fourth. A similar plot, but different result, followed on stage 4, as Batavian Frederik de Jong (Lentar-RIFF) easily won the sprint against Varchar Mellent (Tyrus-Empire) and Filip Nauer (Druzhberg Cycling). Xavier de Molinari kept the lead on the general classification easily in those three stages.

The first change on the general classification came on stage 5, a breakaway of five riders was succesfully formed, with Ceribian Mzechabuk Robakidze (Bagdati Team) winning the stage. His teammate Tamaz Chkheidze was the new leader of the general classification, followed by Robakidze at twenty-seven seconds behind.

Another breakaway of seven riders was able to surprise the peloton the next day, in which Karjelinnian Yrjö Leppänen (Mordvelo) won the stage after a strong attack in the last km. Oslanburgan Niels Krogh (Scholden-Gulcron), who was also involved in the previous day breakaway, was the new leader of the general classification.

The sprinters had another change on stage 7, in which Richard Malone defeated Frederik de Jong and Ceribian Aka Gamkrelidze (Bagdati Team) to win his second stage this Tour de Valland and to consolidate his lead on the Points classification.

Florinthian Stephen Newgreaves (Helahuvudet Vingard), East Kaljurand Hanno Rüütel (Mordvelo), and Vallish Romain Poquelin (Iskra Team), and Jean-Luc Boisrond (Rolareux-Vançotte), succesfully took a minute to the peloton on stage 8, a long medium mountain stage. Poquelin won the stage, and Niels Krogh would lose the red jersey of the general classification to Boisrond by merely two seconds. It was not expected that Boisrond would be able to defend it for long, though, as the first high mountain stage came the next day.

In the last climb of stage 8, only two riders - Florinthian Stephen Grassi (AHN-Motobank and Harmajaan Börje Lamoy (Helahuvudet Vingard Cycling) remained from the large number of riders who attempted to join the breakaway in the first kms of the stage. Lamoy would outpace the Florinthian and won the stage. Behind, the main group was reduced to seven riders: Oslanburgan Soren Syndergaard (Scholden-Gulcron), Lomarren Alessio Gagliardi (BataVelo), Vallish Hippolyte La Chapelle (Télecon Team), Kyrzbekistani Almas Cingur (KyrzAir),  Strathaen Sechnall MacCeallaig (United Strathae), East Tambossan Mutara Gasana (Anzcell Cycling), and Adwestene Eden Grace Weatherhead (Tyrus-Empire). A last attack allowed Gagliardi to take a few seconds ahead his rivals, but the differences weren't too big. Borjë Lamoy was the new leader of the general classification, becoming the first Harmajaan to do so. Hippolyte La Chapelle was third at fourty-four seconds and Gagliardi fourth at fifty-two seconds.

After the first rest day, sprinters had another change in the next two stages. Stage 10 was won by Adwestene Kiel Albert Fyfe (Tyrus-Empire) as he defeated Sav Jacobs (Dido-Great Life), Aonghus Éamon Tadg (United Strathae) and James McCabe (Lentar-RIFF) in a close sprint. Lamoy wasn't able to follow the pace of the peloton, though, probably paying the efforts of the previous day, and the new leader of the general classification was Florinthian Stephen Grassi.

Fyfe was close to repeat victory on stage 11, but he was defeated by Batavian Frederik de Jong (Lentar-RIFF) in the sprint. They were followed by Saratovian Bohdan Staryk (Iskra Team), Tadg, and Richard Malone. The stage was rather calm and without changes in the general classification.

After that pause, high mountain returned on stage 12. Aivars Helmanis (Nenergo Cycling) won the stage after a far-away attack, with Amaury Servan (Rolareux-Vançotte) ending six secons behind. The main group, reduced to eight riders, came one minute later. Alessio Gagliardi (BataVelo) was the new leader of the general classification, eight seconds ahead of Harmajaa Börje Lamoy, who was able to remain with the favourites, while Vallish Hippolyte La Chapelle (Télecon Team) was third fourty-six seconds, followed by Adwestene climber Eden Grace Weatherhead one minute and fourty-two seconds behind Gagliardi.

Gagliardi proved to be the strongest rider in high mountain, attacking on stage 13 and winning the stage. Only Kyrzbekistani climber Almas Cingur (KyrzAir) was able to follow him. Behind, a group of eight riders arrived one minute later. As consequence, Gagliardi increased his lead on the general classification to three minutes and nineteen secons to Lamoy and three minutes and fourty-six seconds to Weatherhead.

Two hilly stages followed, which were decided both in a reduced mass sprint. Stage 14 was won by Batavian Frederik de Jong (Lentar-RIFF) while stage 15 was won by Oslanburgan Sven-Ole Wieth, who defeated clearly to Vallish sprinter Robert Réjane (Rolareux-Vançotte) and Richard Malone. On stage 15, BataVelo team was surprised as the peloton broke in the final 20 kms, and Gagliardi saw reduced his lead in the general classification a minute to several of his main rivals for the final victory.

High mountain returned on stage 16, in which BataVelo imposed a fast pace already on the first climbs. Gagliardi easily resisted in the ten-man main group. The stage, which ended after a dangerous descend was even won by Gagliardi's domestique Eskkyan Pierre Bonchamps (BataVelo) who defeated Oslanburgan Soren Syndergaard (Scholden-Gulcron) and Mordvanian Rajko Kryzanek (Iskra Team).

Gagliardi had a comfortable lead now, so he took a rather prudect reaction, protected by his team, when Eden Grace Weatherhead (Tyrus-Empire), Mestran Stavros Michelakakis (AHN-Motobank), and Almas Cingur (KyrzAir) attacked in the last climb. Those riders caught the four remaining riders in the breakaway, and they kept a fourty-nine second gap to Gagliardi's group. The stage was won by Sequoian Christophe Malletze (Le Cycle Super). With only the final individual time-trial left, it seemed clear that Gagliardi victory was safe, as he kept gap of four minutes and sixty seconds over Weatherhead, the second in the general classification, and five minutes and fifty-one secons over Eskkyan Amaury Servan. Aivars Helmanis (Nenergo Cycing) and Almas Cingur (KyrzAir) followed at more than six minutes behind Gagliardi. Gagliardi's seventh position in the final climb allowed him to win the Mountain classification as well.

Stage 18, the longest stage this Tour de Valland, was expected to be a calm one before the mentioned ITT. However, BataVelo Team was surprised again in the Vallish plains, and Gagliardi lost two minutes to the fifteen-member main group, in which was his main rival Eden Grace Weatherhead. As a consequence, Gagliardi saw his lead to the Adwestene rider to two minutes and forty-four seconds, a comfortable but not definitive distance. The stage was won by Richard Malone (Dido-Great Life), which helped to secure his victory in the Points classification, which he was going to achieve for sixth time.

The forty-eight km individual time-trial on stage 19 was expected to decide the podium, although most of the Top 10 riders on the general classification were not exactly time-trial specialists. The stage was won by Ceribian Nino Gonashvili (Bagdati Team). Gagliardi was even able to increase his lead over Eden Grace Weatherhead to the final three minutes and thirty-four seconds - the second podium for the Adwestene climber as he already second as well in the 1586 Tour de Valland. Amaury Servan (Rolareux-Vançotte) kept easily and comfortably the third position at five-minutes and fifty-one seconds behind Gagliardi.

Mordvanian Rajko Kryzanek (Iskra Team) did an unexpectedly good ITT despite not being a specialist, which allowed him to take the fourth position on the general classification, at seven minutes and eighty-seconds behind Gagliardi, a second less than Aivars Helmanis (Nenergo Cycling), who lost the fourth position by merely one second. Kyrzbekistani climber Almas Cingur (KyrzAir) ended sixth, seven minutes and forty-seven seconds behind Gagliardi. The stage allowed Hubert Salika (Tyrus-Empire) to climb to the final eight place on the general classification and the final Youth classification.

In the final stage, Sven-Ole Wieth (Scholden-Gulcron) defeated Kárdas Nyíregyházi (NDM Cycling), Vienlander Anders Vitecz (Druzhberg Cycling) and Adwestene Varchar Mellent (Tyurs-Empire) to claim his third stage this Tour de Valland.