1597 Tour de Valland

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1597 Tour de Valland

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Stage 1 | Flat stage - 191 km

Antoine Duchesnay (NDM) won the first stage, becoming the first rider to wear the red jersey in the 1597 Tour de Valland. The Vallish sprinter defeated Nylander Michael Ahlgren (Anzcell) and Florinthian Quentin Symonds (Dido-GDC).

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Stage 2 | Hilly stage - 201 km

The second stage was not as calm for the peloton as the day before, but it had a very similar end: Duchesnay defeated Ahlgren again in a mass sprint in a rather reduced peloton. Oslanburgan Anders Mikkelsen (Scholden-Gulcron) and Svarnan Chanda Barigai (Baagh Cycling) were third and fourth, respectively.

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Stage 3 | Flat stage - 155 km

Duchesnay was close to win his third stage win in a row but his countryman Christophe Villiers (Anzcell Cycling) stopped him by merely a few centimetres. Mordvanian sprinter Miroslav Gradishar (Iskra) and Florinthian Quentin Symonds (Dido-GDC) were third and fourth, respectively.

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Stage 4 | Flat stage  - 164 km

For a third time, Antoine Duchesnay proved he was the fastest sprinter this Tour de Valland, defeating Michael Ahlgren (Anzcell) and Vallish Richard Deiss (Vançotte). With a more comfortable lead in the Points classification, the bonus seconds at the finish allowed Duchesnay to increase his lead in the general classification to fourteen seconds ahead of Ahlgren and twenty-one seconds ahead of Villiers.

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Stage 5 | Flag stage - 194 km

Nylander sprinter Michael Ahlgren (Anzcell Cycling) won the fifth stage, after defeating Galeaen Melker Rausing (Yetech-Druzhberg) and Svarnan Chanda Barigai (Baagh Cycling).

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Stage 6 | Hilly stage - 161 km

The sixth stage proved almost impossible for the peloton to control, mostly due to the speed of the day and the wind. Although technically the peloton worked hard and achieved that not successful breakaway was formed, the last kilometres were rather chaotic and the peloton broke in several groups.

The main group was reduced to twenty-eight riders. Nylander Zachariah Nordfeldt (Vançotte) tried to surprised with a final attack, but he was defeated by Chanda Barigai (Baagh Cycling) who gave the first victory in the Tour de Valland to his team.

Antoine Duchesnay (NDM) who came in the same main group although finished several seconds behind, continued as leader of the general classification for sixth day. Barigai was now second at seven seconds while Nordfeldt was third at twelve seconds.

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Stage 7 | Hilly stage - 170 km

Although not exactly a flat stage, the next stage was easier to control for the peloton. Antoine Duchesnay (NDM) defeated Kyrzbekistani Ilsat Alimur (Iskra) and Ostlander Johannes Rapp (Scholden-Gulcron) in a close sprint to win his fourth stage.

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Stage 8 | Flat stage - 236 km

Antoine Duchesnay (NDM) showed once again to the faster sprinter in the Tour, after defeating Christophe Villiers (Anzcell) and Florinthian Quentin Symonds (Dido-GDC) in the final mass sprint.

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Stage 9 | Hilly stage - 153 km

Antoine Duchesnay (NDM) already entered in the history of the Tour de Valland defeating in a mass sprint to Christophe Villiers (Anzcell) once again. Svarnan Chanda Barigai (Baagh Cycling) and Galeaen Malker Rausing (Yetech-Druzhberg) were third and fourth, respectively.

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Stage 10 | Mountain stage - 162 km

Batavian Jaap Frisch (BataVelo) won the 10th stage, which ended in a popular ski station. Lomarran Tomasso Zavala (Yetech-Druzhberg) and Frisch's teammate Nerysian Jarik Nyar, who were the last two riders from the day breakaway ended second and third.

After nine days wearing the red jersey, as it was predictable, sprinter Antoine Duchesnay lost it to Keszarian Adam Sandor (Magram).

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Stage 11 | Flat stage - 186 km

After the first rest day, Antoine Duchesnay continued his personal dictatorship in the mass sprints of this season Tour de Valland. Galeaen Melker Rausing (Yetech-Druzhberg) and Strathaen Aonghus Tadg (United Strathae) were second and third, respectively.

It was a rather calm day for the favourites to the general classification.

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Stage 12 | Mountain stage - 198 km

High mountain returned on stage 12th. Jaap Frisch (BataVelo) was again the faster of the main group, reduced in the final kilometres to only eigh riders.

The Batavian rider took both the mountain and the general classification as consequence. Svarnan climber Rahul Bhattacharya (Baagh), who finished fourth the stage, was second in the general classification, only seven seconds behind Frisch.

Strathaen climber Tuathal Seòras (United Strathae) was third already at forty-four seconds, while Florinthian David Hayward (AHN-Bank of Florinthus) was fourth at one minute and eleven seconds.

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Stage 13 | Mountain stage - 177 km

Frisch proved to be a candidate to the title as he was able to respond the main attacks. He main group in the last kilometres was reduced to six riders: Kyrzbekistani Almas Cingur (KyrzAir), Adwestene champion Eden Grace Weatherhead (Scholden-Gulcron), Jevgenijs Kalnins (Magram), Gehennan Max Pappenheim (Dido-GDC), Goldecian Jack Marshall (Ogo) and the Batavian rider.

Weatherhead defeated Marshall and Frisch to win the stage.

As several of his main rivals lost more than one minute, Frisch's lead on the general classification consolidated, with Bhattacharya now down one minute and twenty-four seconds. Marshall climbed to the third place, although at three minutes and twelve seconds.

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Stage 14 | Flat stage - 222 km

The peloton took a pause for the next day, in which Michael Ahlgren (Anzcell) could not stop Antoine Duchesnay to win his 8th stage to sentence mathematically the Points classification.

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Stage 15 | Mountain stage - 238 km

After the final rest day, the high mountain returned with the longest mountain stage this Tour de Valland.

There were not much action in the main group, reduced to ten riders in the final kilometres, that day, however, until the final metres of Mount Le Peguy. Jaap Frisch (BataVelo) showed that his performance so far was not a coincidence leaving behind his rivals and winning his third mountain stage this Tour.

Although there were not changes in the top four in the general classification, Frisch increased his lead twenty-three seconds to Bhattacharya, and twenty-eight to Weatherhead, and Marshall, who came shortly in a group of six reders behind Frisch and another four riders.

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Stage 16 | Mountain stage - 125 km

The stage 16th was a calmer stage for BataVelo team, that allowed to form a large breakway. Frisch limited to answer Bhattachary and Marshall attacks, even allowing other favourites who did not seem an immediate threat to the red jersey -such as Kyrzbekistani Almas Cingur (KyrzAir), Dyrheimer Roman Herzogenrath (Télecon), or Mordvanian Zeljko Bratansek (Mordvelo)- to attack and join the breakaway.

Bhattacharya, Marshall, and Frisch came together in the main group, so there were not differences this time for the top three riders at the general classification. However, Weatherhead's chances to a place in the podium seemed to complicate, as he lost two minutes to the main group.

Svarnan Amrit Mallaya (Abbott Cycling) won the stage, completing an unexpectedly impressive season for the Svarnan riders in the return to the elite, with two stage wins and climber Rahul Bhattacharay fighting for the general classification, to complete an already successful season, in which Chanda Barigai also won the Badenberg Classic and Bhattacharya the Tour of Eskkya, a few months ago.

Mordvanian Zeljko Bratansek, Kyrzbekistani Enver Dushku (KyrzAir) -who consolidated his lead in the Youth classification, and Oslanburgan Kjeld Povlsen (Luft Wurberg) could not follow the Svarnan climber in the final metres, crossing the finish six seconds later.

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Stage 17 | Mountain stage - 146 km

For first time this Tour, Batavian Jaap Frisch showed weakness in the last high mountain stage. Nevertheless, he did not lose the calm and was able to reduce the loss to his main rival, Svarnan climber Rahul Bhattacharya, to only forty seconds.

The stage was won by Dyrheimer Roman Herzogenrath (Télecon) who left behind Adwestene champion Eden Grace Weatherhead (Scholden-Gulcron), Ceribian Pharnavaz Undiladze (Bagdati), Jose Cardoso (AHN-Bank of Florinthus), Nylander Zacharian Nordfeldt (NDM), and Eskkyan Amaury Servan.

Weatherhead, who finished second in the stage, reduced his distance in the general classification three minutes to the leader, at three minutes and twenty-eight seconds, only four seconds behind Goldecian Jack Marshall (Ogo Cycling) who kept the third place in the podium.

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Stage 18 | Flat stage - 209 km

Goldecian Adi Shulman (Ogo Cycling) won his first stage in a Grand Tour, after defeating Ceribian Sergo Gvarjaladze (Bagdati) and Nylander Chester Stenbeck (Anzcell) in the mass sprint.

There were not changes in the general classification, as the peloton took the stage rather calmly before the final individual time-trial, and despite the increase of the speed by sprinter teams to end the day breakaway, they arrived twenty-six minutes later than scheduled.

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Stage 19 | ITT - 54 km

Before the start of the 1597 Tour de Valland, the long individual time-trial was expected to be decisive. However, Jaap Frisch's victory seemed to have already been decided on Stage 17: Frisch was one minute and eighteen seconds ahead of Rahul Bhattacharya, and the Svarnan had not exactly an impressive record against the clock.

The Svarnan climber was rather more concerned about keeping a place in the final podium, as Goldecian Jack Marshall (Ogo Cycling) and Eden Grace Weatherhead (Scholden-Gulcron) were barely only two minutes behind them in the general classification.

Nylander Jacob Schuyler (BataVelo) won the stage, giving his team their fourth stage this Tour de Valland, after the three mountain stages won by their leader during the Tour.

Weatherhead was the best of the favourites in the ITT, ending third only nine seconds behind Schuyler. It was not a more complicated time-trial for Frisch than expected, as he suffered a puncture at the beginning of the stage and would end losing more than two minutes to Weatherhead. His result in the ITT allowed Weatherhead to end in the Tour de Valland podium for ninth time in a row -five of those as winner-, finishing second at fifty-seven seconds.

Svarnan Rahul Bhattacharya did a better time-trial that most were expecting, and he was able to at least easily secure a third place in the podium, finishing in the general classification two minutes and eighteen seconds behid Frisch.

The loser of the day was Goldecian Jack Marshall (Ogo) as he lost his place in podium, ending fourth at four minutes and forteen seconds.

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Stage 20 | Flat stage - 138 km

In the final stage in Lauren, Antoine Duchesnay (NDM) made history in the Tour de Valland, winning his ninth individual stage in the same season, and breaking also the record of points in the Points classification, after defeating Michael Ahlgren (Anzcell) and Galeaen Melker Rausing (Yetech-Druzhberg) in the mass sprint.

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