Quickstep’s Gianni Meersman emerges from a chaotic finish on stage 1 of the Tour of Romandie victorious
![]() |
As the race came back together inside the final 10km, OPQS sent riders to the front to protect Meersman and put him in the best position for the finish. Cavendish was not spotted in the bunch going into the final kilometers because of a mechanical at the bottom of the last climb.
Photo:Â Â OPQS/Tim De Waele
Despite an attack by Manuele Boaro (Team Saxo-Tinkoff) that was brought back with 1.5km to go, it was clear the peloton was completely unorganized in preparation for the bunch sprint. It was up to OPQS, and some smart maneuvering by Meersman, to put him in place for a win.
Meersman waited until the perfect moment with less than 400m to go, launching on the left side off another rider’s wheel in a chaotic final to win the stage. The win was also his third victory in 2013, and the 22nd for OPQS in three disciplines. Giacomo Nizzolo (Radioshack-Leopard) was 2nd, Roberto Ferrari (Lampre-Merida) 3rd.
“It was a difficult stage,” Meersman said. “The team worked perfectly. It was hard in the final, at 500 meters to go I had to brake. But then I found my good legs and saw a way to the victory. The goal today, if Mark Cavendish was still there after the last climb, was to go for him. If not, it would be a final for me.”
“Unfortunately Mark had a mechanical and at that point we went for me. I was a little bit boxed at 400 meters to go, but I managed to stay in the front. Peter Velits brought me to the wheel of Matthew Goss (Orica Green-EDGE) but when I saw the possibility to pass in the chaotic sprint I didn’t wait.”
“I decided to go by myself and not to wait for someone else to launch. I did my sprint and if they passed me, no problem, but if not I could win. I’m in good condition if I can win a sprint like that, against riders such as Goss and others. My goal is to possibly go for another stage tomorrow or the day after. You never know.”
“Everything went well today,” Holm said. “The team worked really well together. We had to save Gianluca Brambilla and Tony Martin. Grabsch stayed with Cav, which was the plan, and the rest of the team was really committed to go for the win. We said already yesterday that we had two cards to play, Cav and Gianni. Cav had a mechanical at the bottom of the last climb, so we went for Gianni. Gianni finalized perfectly the job of the team.”
Chris Froome Happy
After the stage, race leader Chris Froome was happy with how the team approached the stage and to have made it through a tricky final few kilometres. “It was a good solid start from the team today,” he said. “We started off in total control of the race. Even when the attacks came on the final climbs the guys just stayed calm and we all stayed together. Josh [Edmondson] in particular and Gabba [Rasch] spent a lot of time on the front today. That was fantastic and the team rode really well.”
“There was a lot of road furniture coming into the finish. The sprinter teams took it up coming into the final. The main thing for us was just to stay out of harm’s way and save the legs for what is coming up. It’s really good to be in this position and getting used to being in this position now going forward.â€
STAGE
1. MEERSMAN Gianni OPQ 04:29:09
2. NIZZOLO Giacomo RLT @ st
3. FERRARI Roberto LAM @ st
4. MEZGEC Luka ARG @ st
5. REZA Kevin EUC @ st
6. GAVAZZI Francesco AST @ st
7. GOSS Matthew Harley OGE @ st
8. FARIA DA COSTA Rui Alberto MOV @ st
9. BILLE Gaetan LTB @ st
10. MARCATO Marco VCD @ st
31. BLYTHE Adam BMC @ st
51. PORTE Richie SKY @ st
56. FROOME Christopher SKY @ st
141. EDMONDSON Joshua SKY @ st
143. KENNAUGH Peter SKY @ st
OVERALL
1. FROOME Christopher SKY 04:42:24
2. TALANSKY Andrew GRS @ 06
3. KISERLOVSKI Robert RLT @ 13
4. PORTE Richie SKY @ 15
5. FARIA DA COSTA Rui Alberto MOV @ 16
6. PINOT Thibaut FDJ @ 17
7. CLEMENT Stef BLA @ 17
8. VALVERDE BELMONTE Alejandro MOV @ 17
9. DANIELSON Tom GRS @ 17
10. KELDERMAN Wilco BLA @ 18
Other Results on VeloUK (including reports containing results)
- Features, Reports, Results
- TT Result: Kent CA 10m Time Trial
- TT Result: Southern Counties CU 25m TT
- HC Result: Elevate RT Hill Climb
- Result: Welsh Road Race Championships 2024
- Result: Will Houghton Circuit Race (Hillingdon)
- STARTLIST: National Youth (GHS) Championship Final
- TT Result: Barnesbury CC 25m TT
- TT Result: Rutland CC 10m Time Trial
- TT Result: VC Glasgow South 22m TT
- BMCR Result: E/F/G/H/W Stallard Finale (Darley Moor)
- Crit Result: Melton Olympic CC Summer Crit 4
- Youth Result: The ‘Back to School’ Youth Races
- HC Result: Dursley Road Club Hill Climb
- TT Report: VTTA 100 Mile Championship
- Tour of Britain: Provisional Startlist
- RR Result: Nick Clayton Memorial RR
- RR Result: Jef Schils Memorial Road Race (Nat B)
- TT Result: Northampton & District CA 10m TT
- Crit Result: YBC & No Nonsense Circuit races
- RTTC 10 Mile Time Trial Championship (Women)
- RTTC 10 mile Time Trial Championships (Youth/Junior)
- RTTC 10 Mile Time Trial Championship
- Sunday: Jef Schils Memorial (National B)
- REPORT: Victor Berlemont Trophy Race
- RR Result: Junior Tour of Wales
- BMCR RESULT: Dulwich Paragon Road Race
- BMCR Result: Dinosaurs at the Palace
- This Weekend: RTTC National 10 mile Championship
- Crit Result: Mountbatten Summer Circuit Series #10
- Crit Result: Full Gas Summer Circuit Series #25
- RR Result: Victor Berlemont Trophy Road Race
- Youth Results: RL360 Isle of Man Youth League 19
- Youth Result: 360 Cycling North West Youth Tour (Girls)
- Youth Result: 360 Cycling North West Youth Tour (Boys)
- Crit Result: 360 Cycling Open Circuit Race
- Q&A: Killian O’Brien – third in the Junior Tour of Wales
- TT Result: Sussex CA 25m TT
- TT Result: Coalville Wheelers 19.8m TT
- Crit Result: Cliff Pratt Deca Community Crits 9
- Youth Result: Scottish National Youth Circuit Series 4
Other News on VeloUK
- STARTLIST: National Youth (GHS) Championship Final
- Tour of Britain: Provisional Startlist
- Sunday: Jef Schils Memorial (National B)
- This Weekend: RTTC National 10 mile Championship
- Q&A: Killian O’Brien – third in the Junior Tour of Wales
- TOM PIDCOCK CONFIRMED FOR LLOYDS BANK TOUR OF BRITAIN MEN
- Startlist: 42nd Junior Tour of Wales
- Startlist: 360 North West Youth Tour
- Tour of Britain: Evenepoel/Alaphilippe To Race National Tour
- GB Juniors for Track Worlds in China
- THIS WEEKEND: CYCLOCROSS (Leicestershire)
- Startlist: Men’s National B (Worcestershire)
- Startlists: Fenwicks Tour of Mendip 2024
- Startlists: 19th Ryedale Grasscrete Grand Prix Road Races
- Men’s Tour of Britain News: Teams for 2024 Race
- Men’s Tour of Britain Route Revealed (Stages 5 & 6)
- NEWS: Women’s UCI Drops Team to Close
- Startlist: Youth and Junior Track Championships 2024
- Startlist: RTTC National 25 Mile Championship (Women/JuniorsYouth)
- Startlists: RTTC National 25 Mile Championship (Men)
- Hill Climb Championships: Change of Course
- TT Result: Ross-On-Wye & Dist CC 25m TT
- News: Men’s Tour of Britain Route (Stage 1 & 2)
- GB News: Paracycling Squad for Paris 2024
- Ribble Redefines Road with launch of Allroad
- BMCR: National Road Bike Time Trial Championship
- SUNDAY: Bath Road Club Junior National Series Road Race
- TLI CYCLING FEATURE: SUPER4SERIES
- NATIONAL CIRCUIT SERIES UPDATE 2024
- News: Josh Tarling Extends Contract at Ineos
- Tour of Britain for Men 2024
- News: Connor Swift Extends Contract with Ineos
- Updated GB Olympic Team News
- Sunday: 2024 Youth Circuit Race Championships (Cyclopark)
- ROBBED BY THE HIGHWAYS AGENCY – National Highways
- Startlist: BMCR National Road Championships E/F/G/H
- OLYMPIC NEWS – Team GB Announces First Riders for Olympics
- News: Alex Richardson Retires
- New Releases from Shutt Velo Rapide
- STARTLIST: Men’s British Road Race Championships