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Eden Grace Weatherhead wins 1590 Tour de Valland
By Richard W. Wallace
Published: Zechyr 24, 1590


Eden Grace Weatherhead won his first Tour de Valland, after finishing twice in the podium (1586 and 1589)


Lauren, Valland - Eden Grace Weatherhead (Tyrus-Empire) won the 1590 Tour de Valland.

The 1590 Tour de Valland started in Athenne, Kyrland, with a victory of Kavean sprinter Filip Nauer (Druzhberg Cycling). On the following stage, the victory was for Nauer's teammate Ander Vitecz while Nauer continued as leader of the general classification. Stage 3, a 35-km team time-trial stage, was won by Télecon Team. Keszarian sprinter Kárdas Nyíregyházi (NDM Cycling) wasa the new leader of the general classification.

There was not much action or differences in the general classification during the next week, as teams with sprinters were able to easily control the race, and despite attempts to create successful breakways, every one of the next six stages ending at mass sprint. Already on Vallish territory, Frederik de Jong (Anzcell-RIFF) defeated Richard Malone (Dido-Great Life) and Filip Nauer (Druzhberg Cycling) to win his first stage this Tour de Valland. Veteran Vallish sprinter Robert Réjane won stage 5, after outpacing de Jong and Nauer in the final metres. Vallish Eugéne Du Tillet (Télecon Team) would become the next leader of the general classification, after Nyíregyházi was affected in a crash.

Frederik de Jong won his second stage on stage 6, a hilly stage between Mailly and Leune-saint-Troyes, after defeating Richard Malone. The Batavian sprinter was close to won his third stage the next day, but he was defeated by Oslanburgan sprinter Sven-Ole Wieth (Scholden-Gulcron), while Richard Malone was close again, ending third. Xavier de Molinari (NDM Cycling) was the new leader of the general classification, which he could keep until stage 10.

On Stage 8, Frederik de Jong won his third stage, after defeating Richard Malone and Kárdas Nyíregyházi. Richard Malone (Dido-Great Life) would finally win his first individual stage the next day, after defeating de Jong and Adwestene sprinter Varchar Mellent (Tyrus-Empire).

The high mountain would arrive on stage 10, with a 79-km stage ended in a demanding first-category climb. The main group, reduced to twenty riders, was able to neutralize any breakaway or attack before the final kilometres. There were not big differences in the general classification, and the stage was won by Mordvanian Joze Prezeren (Mordvelo). Oslanburgan Jonathan Geissler (ZMG-Nissen) became the leader of the general classification.

Another and longer high mountain stage was waiting on stage 11. The main group was already reduced to six riders this time at the final climb, including Jonathan Geissler and his teammate Zachariah Nordfeldt, Romain Poquelin (Iskra Team and Benoît Montfleury (Télecon Team), Alessio Gagliardi (BataVelo), and Adwestene climber Eden Grace Weatherhead (Tyrus-Empire). A last attack by the Vallish climber Benoît Montfleury was only answered by Nylander Zachariah Nordfeldt. The Nylander would eventually leave Montfleury behind, catching the two remaining breakaway riders -Batavian Jaap Frisch and Florinthian Stephen Grassi- and won his first high mountain stage in his first Tour de Valland participation. Jonathan Geissler would arrive thirty-four seconds later, and therefore allowing Nordfeldt to become the new leader of the general classification -thanks to the stage bonus seconds- by merely two seconds ahead of his alleged team leader. Despite Nordfeldt's performance, ZMG-Nissen director assured that they had no doubts and Geissler was to continue as the only team leader.

That seemed confirmed on the next stage, as Zachariah Nordfeldt could not follow the pace of the main group in the last climb, reduced then to nine riders. Only Geissler, Prezeren and Florinthian Stephen Newgreaves (Helahuvudet Vingard) could follow the last attack by Aivars Helmanis (Nenergo Cycling), although there were not big differences between those remaining nine riders. Mordvanian Joze Prezeren (Mordvelo) outpaced his rivals to win his second mountain stage. Jonathan Geissler was now followed in the general classification by Vallish climbers Roman Poquelin (Iskra Team) at one minute and forty-seven seconds and Benoît Montfleury (Télecon Team) at two minutes and twenty-six seconds. Zachariah Nordfeldt fell to the fifth place, after losing more than three minutes that stage.

Three calm but fast stages followed, all of them ended in a mass sprint again. Filip Nauer (Druzhberg Cycling) won stage 13, defeating Kárdas Nyíregyházi (NDM Cycling) and Frederik de Jong. Richard Malone (Dido-Great Life) would win the next stage in a close sprint in which de Jong finished second and Nyìregyházi finished third. Frederik de Jong won stage 15, winning his fourth stage and consolodating his lead in the Points classification.

High mountain returned on stage 16, with a long and demanding stage. Télecon Team imposed a high pace, which increased when Benôit Montfleury attacked 80 km before finish. Montfleury's attack enlivened Vallish fans, and he was the virtual leader of the general classification during many kms. While Montfleury's attack was not eventually successful, it allowed to show the weakness of Jonathan Geissler, who already dropped at the beggining of the last climb, only helped by Zachariah Nordfeldt. Montfleury would be caught soon afterwards and he was unable to follow the pace of the remaining main group, which was soon reduced to four riders: Romain Poquelin (Iskra), Caleb Foster (Ogo Cycling), Kyrzbekistani climber Almas Cingur (KyrzAir), and Batavian Jaap Frisch (BataVelo). Caleb Foster won the stage after leaving behind Poquelin and Cingur in the last 500m, but Poquelin was the "great winner" of the stage, as he took the general classification jersey with an apparently comfortable lead. Adwestene climber Eden Grace Weatherhead was second at one-minute and forty seconds, while Geissler was third now at two minutes and forty-nine seconds after losing more than four minutes that stage.

However, Poquelin would pay the efforts on the previous day on stage 17, a long flat stage in which the peloton broke apart in the final thirty kilometres. As a consequence, he would lose on minute to Weatherhead and forty-seconds to Geissler. The stage, decided in a reduced mass sprint, was won by Florinthian Sav Jacobs (Dido-Great Life) who defeated Ceribian Aka Gamkrelidze (Bagdati) and Ander Vitecz (Druzhberg) in the final metres.

In the final mountain stage, a large breakaway was formed, with Mordvanian Zeljko Bratansek (Mordvelo) -10th in the general classification- as main rider in the breakaway. Eskkyan Pierre Bonchamps (BataVelo) and Nerysian Wulf Käufer (Luft Wurberg) showed to be the two stronger riders in the final kms. In the last metres, the more experienced Eskkyan climber easily defeated Käufer. Meanwhile, Weatherhead attacked and dropped Poquelin and Geissler.

Eden Grace Weatherhead (Tyrus-Empire) took the general classification, with a lead over Poquelin that seemed more than enough for the final individual time-trial stage, as the Vallish climber was two minutes and forty-eight seconds behind the Adwestene climber. Jonathan Geissler was at third five-minutes and seventeen seconds, while his teammate Zachariah Nordfeldt was fourth at five-minutes and forty-nine seconds. Mordvanian Zeljko Bratansek (Mordvelo) climbed to the fifth position, but more than seven minutes on the general classification, without real options to the podium.

The final ITT, won by Vallish time-trialist Eugéne Du Tillet (Télecon Team) and, although Weatherhead had a more than comfortable time-trial, it proved decisive to decide the podium. Zachariah Nordfeldt (ZMG-Nissen), who had started the stage outside the podium, proved to be a competitive time-trialist, with a final second position in the general classification, three-minutes and forty-six seconds behind Weatherhead, a promising and incredible debut in the Tour de Valland, which includes winning a mountain stage and the Youth classification. Romain Poquelin (Iskra Team), also losing the second place, was able to comfortably keep a place of the podium, ending third minutes and fifty seconds.

With a bad performance, Jonathan Geissler was unable once more to finish in podium in Valland, finishing five minutes and fifty-nine seconds behind Weatherhead. Zelko Bratansek (Mordvelo) kept the fifth position in the general classification, followed by another two young and promising riders, Jaap Frisch (BataVelo) and Oslanburgan Jorgen Exner (Luft Wurberg). Mordvanian Joze Prezeren (Mordvelo) was seventh, after an irregular Tour in which the Mordvanian rider won two mountain stages and the Mountain classification.

A calm and without incidences stage waited the riders in the final stage in Lauren, in which Eden Grace Weatherhead (Tyrus-Empire) became the third Adwestene rider to win the Tour de Valland - the first time since 1531. The stage was won by Richard Malone (Dido-Great Life) who defeated Keszarian Kárdas Nyíregyházi and Strathaen Aonghus Éamon Tadg to win his third stage this Tour de Valland.

The Points classification was won by Frederik de Jong (Anzcell-RIFF), his second after 1588.