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Romain Poquein wins 1590 Ceribian Tour
By Richard W. Wallace
Published: Nueva 28, 1590


Romain Poquelin


Etora, Ceribia - 33-year old Romain Poquelin (Iskra Team) won the Ceribian Tour, his first Grand Tour, completing a great season.

The Ceribian Tour started with a 11.1 km team time-trial stage (TTT), which was won by local team KDK-Magram. As consequence, the young Shalva Jughasvili -first KDK-Magram rider to cross the finish- become in the first leader of the 1590 Ceribian Tour.

On stage 2, Richard Malone (Dido-Great Life) defeated Oslanburgan sprinter Sven-Ole Wieth (Scholden-Gulcron) and Francesco Gassendi (NDM Cycling) to win his 47th stage in the Ceribian Tour. Malone, who as stage winner would also lead the Points classification for first day- will keep the Point classification for the next 19 stages, breaking a new recond on the Ceribian Tour. As consequence of the eight bonus seconds obtained as second at the stage, Sven-Ole Wieth was the new leader of the general classification.

On Stage 3, also finished in a mass sprint, Batavian sprinter Frederik de Jong (Anzcell-RIFF) defeated Malone, Ander Vitecz (Druzhberg Cycling) and Francesco Gassendi to win the stage.

On stage 4, which entered Angirisian territory, a small climb four km before the finish was expected to add some action. A group of six riders was formed. Hubert Salika (Tyrus-Empire) attacked from it in the last km but he was unable to drop Florinthian James McCabe (Dido-Great Life) who easily won the stage on the sprint. East Kaljuran Hanno Rüütel (Iskra Team) became the new leader of the general classification, becoming the first East Kaljurand rider to do so in the Ceribian Tour.

Another two hilly stages followed, but slightly more friendly for sprinters. Both were finished in mass sprint. On stage 5, Richard Malone was able to defeat Frederik de Jong and Francesco Gassendi to win his second individual stage this Ceribian Tour. The next day, Filip Nauer (Druzhberg Cycling) defeated Gassendi and Aka Gamkrelidze (Bagdati) to win the stage in a chaotic sprint.

The first mountain stage arrived on stage 7. Rajko Kryzanek (Iskra Team), Amaury Servan (Rolareux-Vançotte) and Ceribian Mukhran Chavchavadze (KDK-Magram) were able to leave behind the main group after several attacks in the beginning of the last climb. Servan would drop Kryzanek first and Chavchavadze later to comfortably win the stage and become the leader of the general classification. The main group arrived forty seconds after Servan, without important differences between the rest of favourites.

Before the second high mountain stage, a flat stage awaited on stage 8. Finished in a previsible mass sprint, Sven-Ole Wieth (Scholden-Gulcron) defeated Richard Malone and Filip Naeur (Druzhberg Cycling) to win the stage.

On the last climb on stage 9, attacks by Alessio Gagliardi (BataVelo) and 1590 Tour de Valland winner Eden Grace Weatherhead (Tyrus-Empire) reduced the main group to nine riders. Weatherhead dropped Gagliardi to win the stage and climb to the second position in the general classification. Mordvanian Rajko Kryzanek (Iskra Team) was the new leader of the general classification.

The next two stages, both ended in mass sprint, were both won by Richard Malone who consolidated his provisional lead on the Point classification. There was not any important change in the general classification during those stages.

The main group was reduced to nine riders in the last climb on stage 12, in which returned to high mountain. Only Wulf Käufer (Luft Wurberg) and Mordvanian Marcus Gucevicius (Rolareux-Vançotte) could follow the last attack by Aivars Helmanis (Nenergo Cycling). Lomarren climber Alessio Gagliardi (BataVelo) was the new leader of the general classification, with thirty-three seconds ahead of Weatherhead, and forty-three seconds ahead of Hubert Salika (Tyrus-Empire).

BataVelo team imposed a fast pace along the next stage, and at the start of the last climb, the main group was already reduced to twelve riders, with Adwestene Salika and Weatherhead dropping afterwards. Gagliardi answered every attack until, shortly before 2km from finish, Romain Poquelin (Iskra Team) attacked followed by Florinthian Stephen Grassi and Gagliardi's domestique Pierre Bonchamps. Poquelin outpaced Bonchamps and Grassi in the final metres to win the stage. Ten seconds later, Gagliardi and Lars Brunewald arrived. With more than two minutes ahead of Käufer and Poquelin, Gagliardi's leadership seemed comfortable enough.

However, the next stage did not start as well for the BataVelo team, as Gagliardi showed weakness before even the last climb, and with Bonchamps as only support. After several attacks, riders were dropping from the main group until only four riders remained: Romain Poquelin (Iskra), Eden Grace Weatherhead, Almas Cingur (KyrzAir) and Benoît Montfleury (Télecon Team).  The four arrived together, with Montfleury winning the stage on sprint. Poquelin was the new leader of the general classification, with only three seconds ahead Gagliardi, who lost more than two minutes. Weatherhead remained third, fifty-three seconds behind Poquelin.

Stage 15 was a 19.7km time-trial, with a terrain slightly favourable to climbers, as the stage started in a climb. The stage was won, however, by Goldecian Bryce Ward (ZMG-Nissen) a time-trial specialist. Poquelin increased his lead to Gagliardi from three to sixteen seconds. Weatherhead, who didn't an exactly impressive time-trial, was now one-minute and forty-one seconds behind, with his teammate Salika at fourth one minute and fifty-one seconds. Almas Cingur was fifth at one minute and fifty-eight seconds.

The Tour de Valland champion did not threw in the towel, attacking in the last climb the next stage. He found some help in the last two riders from the breakaway, Goldecian Daniel Upton Steele (Ogo Cycling) and Nentsian Ryhor Martsinkyevich (MTS-Biassoni). Weatherhead clearly paid the efforts during the last kms and he was easily defeated in the last metres by Steele. As consequence, Poquelin saw his lead reduced to eleven seconds over Weatherhead.

Stage 17, a hilly stage, did not bring changes in the general classification. Finished in a mass sprint, Frederik de Jong (Anzcell-RIFF) won the stage, his second individual stage this Ceribian Tour.

A large breakaway was early formed on stage 18, of which seven riders resisted on the final stage. On the descend, Mordvanian Joze Prezeren (Mordvelo) and Ronald Frazer (Dido-Great Life) took a small but clear distance over the rest of riders. Frazer won the stage on the sprint, giving Dido-Great Life its fifth individual stage this Ceribian Tour.
Weatherhead, after a risky descend, ended twenty-four seconds ahead, and therefore taking the golden jersey.

In the last high mountain stage, however, Poquelin found in BataVelo team an ally against Weatherhead, who proved to be a more irregular rider in this Ceribian Tour than he did in his recent victory in the Tour de Valland - probably another proof of how difficult is to win both Grand Tours the same season, last time achieved in 1582 by Nylander Elton Isaksson. Weatherhead lost more than two minutes, which gave a clear advantage to Poquelin before the final individual time-trial stage. The stage was won by Zachariah Nordfeldt (ZMG-Nissen), completing a very promising season, in which he won two mountain stages in both Grand Tours and runner-up in the Tour de Valland. Gagliardi was now second, fifty-four seconds behind Poquelin - also the Vallish rider was considered better at ITT.

Stage 20, a 44-km ITT along Etora, was won by Robert Annequin (NDM Cycling), who was eight seconds faster than Eugéne Du Tillet (Télecon Team). There were not changes in the podium, with Poquelin increasing his lead over Gagliardi to one minute and one second, while Weatherhead ended third two minutes and forty seconds behind the Vallish champion. Kyrzbekistani climber Almas Cingur (KyrzAir) was fourth, three minutes and three seconds behind Poquelin. The 1587 Ceribian Tour winner Grzegorz Sutzkever (KDK-Magram) was fifth, improving two positions, to a final three minutes and seventeen seconds behind Poquelin.

The Mountain classification was won by Weatherhead, while the Youth classification was won by Nentsian Ryhor Martsinkyevich (MTS-Biassoni), who ended eight in the general classification. Veteran sprinter Richard Malone (Dido-Great Life) won the Points classification for eight time.