May 31, 2012 (Jonquière, QC) – It was a massive sprint that produced the winner on the first of four stages at the Coupe des Nations-Ville de Saguenay on Thursday at Stage 1 in Jonquière, 140.7km. Kazakh Arman Kamyshev crossed the finish line first beating Dane Patrick Clausen by a narrow margin, yet Clausen claimed the yellow leader’s jersey by virtue of time bonuses. He holds a slight lead of two seconds over Kamyshev with Italy’s Thomas Fiumana rounding out the podium.

“It was a difficult day. There was a lot of wind and the rain was annoying, so we had to slow down the pace at the end,” said the winner via an interpreter. “At the end of the last lap, I attacked several times in order to stay well positioned for the sprint.” Second overall last year, he believes his chances of winning this year are good.

Under uncertain skies a total of 88 riders started the 140.7-kilometer race in Jonquiere. Early in the race, a breakaway of three cyclists animated things. However the trio of fugitives was caught before completing the first lap. Several attacks were unleashed during the next two laps, but none were successful.

Halfway through the race two riders tried to escape from the peloton and were joined by four other cyclists who quickly joined them. But they too had to surrender to the charging peloton. With less than 40 kilometers to go the attacks began again and by the seventh and decisive lap, all had been reintegrated back into the group.

A crash in the final kilometers blew the chances for some and tainted the event’s outcome, which was  determined in the final bunch sprint to the line with Kamyshev taking the stage victory.

The second stage, 151 kilometers, takes place on Friday in La Baie. For more information on the Coupe des Nations-Ville de Saguenay visit HERE.

Results

1. Arman Kamyshev (Kaz) Kazakhstan  3:09:23
2. Patrick Clausen (Den) Denmark
3. Thomas Fiumana (Ita) Italy
4. Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Italy
5. Hugo Houle (Can) Canada  
6. Jan Dieteren (Ger) Germany
7. Mark Christian (Gbr) Great Britain
8. Nikias Arndt (Ger) Germany
9. Vladislav Gorbunov (Kaz) Kazakhstan
10. Daniele Aldegheri (Ita) Italy
11. Michab Kadrzycski (Pol) POL
12. Jan Tratnik (Slo) Slovenia
13. Mats Lohne (Nor) Norway
14. Sebastian Lander (Den) Denmark
15. Klemen Stimulak (Slo) Slovenia
16. Kamil Gradek (Pol) POL
17. Ruben Companioni Blanco (Cub) Cuba
18. Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Kazakhstan
19. Sebastian Salazar (Col) Colombia
20. Alcides Miranda (Pan) Panama
21. Michael Valgren Andersen (Den) Denmark
22. David Boily (Can) Canada
23. Jonathan Mould (Gbr) Great Britain
24. Simon Yates (Gbr) Great Britain
25. David Pareja (Pan) Panama
26. Abdraimzhan Ishanov (Kaz) Kazakhstan
27. Mateusz Nowaczek (Pol) POL
28. Fabio Tommassini (Ita) Italy
29. Nathan Brown (USA) USA
30. Matthias Plarre (Ger) Germany
31. Grzegorz Haba (Pol) POL
32. Charlie Avis (USA) USA
33. Romain Guillemois (Fra) France
34. Daniel Slatto Gomnes (Nor) Norway
35. Evan Huffman (USA) USA
36. Kevin Predatsch (Ger) Germany
37. Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) UCI Team
38. Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Denmark
39. Georges Atkins (Gbr) Great Britain
40. Asbjorn Kragh Andersen (Den) Denmark
41. Ramon Carretero (Pan) Panama
42. Alexis Gougeard (Fra) France
43. Rudy Kowalski (Fra) France
44. Piter Campero (Bol) UCI Team
45. Stuart Wight (Can) Canada
46. Ever Rivera (Col) Colombia
47. Pawel Bernas (Pol) POL
48. Audun Brekke Flotten (Nor) Norway
49. Yannick Mayer (Ger) Germany
50. Juan Diego Quintero (Col) Colombia
51. Juan Carlos Romeu Cabrera (Cub) Cuba
52. Ryan Aitcheson (Can) Canada
53. Jos Chalmers (USA) USA
54. Roman Dronin (Uzb) UCI Team
55. Jose Rios (Pan) Panama
56. Carlos Galeano (Col) Colombia
57. Simone Camilli (Ita) Italy
58. Juan Chamorro (Col) Colombia
59. Ramon L. Martin Alvarez (Cub) Cuba
60. Vegard Breen (Nor) Norway
61. Christer Jensen (Nor) Norway
62. Aukasz Wizniowski (Pol) POL
63. Houssam Nasri (Tun) UCI Team
64. Olivier Le Gac (Fra) France
65. Mark Dzamastagic (Slo) Slovenia
66. Natnael Berhane (Eri) UCI Team
67. Florian Senechal (Fra) France
68. Fernando Orjuela (Col) Colombia
69. Ulises Castillo (Mex) UCI Team
70. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) France
71. Francisco Gonzalez (Pan) Panama
72. Pierrick Naud (Can) Canada
73. Mads Meyer (Den) Denmark
74. Eirik Kasa Jarlseth (Nor) Norway
75. Jorge Castillo (Pan) Panama
76. Mario Vogt (Ger) Germany
77. Robert Jenko (Slo) Slovenia
78. Tanner Putt (USA) USA
79. Samuel Harrison (Gbr) Great Britain
80. Joseph Schmalz (USA) USA
81. Thomas Moses (Gbr) Great Britain
82. Antoine Duchesne (Can) Canada  
83. Maxat Ayazbayev (Kaz) Kazakhstan
84. Danil Fominykh (Kaz) Kazakhstan
85. Racso Gonzalez Toledo (Cub) Cuba
86. Luca Wackermann (Ita) Italy  0:17:18
87. Leandro Marcos Vidueiro (Cub) Cuba  0:21:38
88. Eduardo Acosta Rodriguez (Cub) Cuba

GC after Stage 1

1. Patrick Clausen (Den) Denmark  3:09:11
2. Arman Kamyshev (Kaz) Kazakhstan  0:02
3. Thomas Fiumana (Ita) Italy  0:08
4. Michael Valgren Andersen (Den) Denmark  0:09
5. Michab Kadrzycski (Pol) POL  0:10
6. Alexey Lutsenko (Kaz) Kazakhstan
7. Simon Yates (Gbr) Great Britain
8. Jonathan Mould (Gbr) Great Britain  0:11
9. Mateusz Nowaczek (Pol) POL
10. Tanner Putt (USA) USA
11. Kristian Sbaragli (Ita) Italy  0:12
12. Hugo Houle (Can) Canada  
13. Jan Dieteren (Ger) Germany
14. Mark Christian (Gbr) Great Britain
15. Nikias Arndt (Ger) Germany
16. Vladislav Gorbunov (Kaz) Kazakhstan
17. Daniele Aldegheri (Ita) Italy
18. Jan Tratnik (Slo) Slovenia
19. Mats Lohne (Nor) Norway
20. Sebastian Lander (Den) Denmark
21. Klemen Stimulak (Slo) Slovenia
22. Kamil Gradek (Pol) POL
23. Ruben Companioni Blanco (Cub) Cuba
24. Sebastian Salazar (Col) Colombia
25. Alcides Miranda (Pan) Panama
26. David Boily (Can) Canada
27. David Pareja (Pan) Panama
28. Abdraimzhan Ishanov (Kaz) Kazakhstan
29. Fabio Tommassini (Ita) Italy
30. Nathan Brown (USA) USA
31. Matthias Plarre (Ger) Germany
32. Grzegorz Haba (Pol) POL
33. Charlie Avis (USA) USA
34. Romain Guillemois (Fra) France
35. Daniel Slatto Gomnes (Nor) Norway
36. Evan Huffman (USA) USA
37. Kevin Predatsch (Ger) Germany
38. Eduardo Sepulveda (Arg) UCI Team
39. Magnus Cort Nielsen (Den) Denmark
40. Georges Atkins (Gbr) Great Britain
41. Asbjorn Kragh Andersen (Den) Denmark
42. Ramon Carretero (Pan) Panama
43. Alexis Gougeard (Fra) France
44. Rudy Kowalski (Fra) France
45. Piter Campero (Bol) UCI Team
46. Stuart Wight (Can) Canada
47. Ever Rivera (Col) Colombia
48. Pawel Bernas (Pol) POL
49. Audun Brekke Flotten (Nor) Norway
50. Yannick Mayer (Ger) Germany
51. Juan Diego Quintero (Col) Colombia
52. Juan Carlos Romeu Cabrera (Cub) Cuba
53. Ryan Aitcheson (Can) Canada
54. Jos Chalmers (USA) USA
55. Roman Dronin (Uzb) UCI Team
56. Jose Rios (Pan) Panama
57. Carlos Galeano (Col) Colombia
58. Simone Camilli (Ita) Italy
59. Juan Chamorro (Col) Colombia
60. Ramon L. Martin Alvarez (Cub) Cuba
61. Vegard Breen (Nor) Norway
62. Christer Jensen (Nor) Norway
63. Aukasz Wizniowski (Pol) POL
64. Houssam Nasri (Tun) UCI Team
65. Olivier Le Gac (Fra) France
66. Mark Dzamastagic (Slo) Slovenia
67. Natnael Berhane (Eri) UCI Team
68. Florian Senechal (Fra) France
69. Fernando Orjuela (Col) Colombia
70. Ulises Castillo (Mex) UCI Team
71. Julian Alaphilippe (Fra) France
72. Francisco Gonzalez (Pan) Panama
73. Pierrick Naud (Can) Canada  
74. Mads Meyer (Den) Denmark
75. Eirik Kasa Jarlseth (Nor) Norway
76. Jorge Castillo (Pan) Panama
77. Mario Vogt (Ger) Germany
78. Robert Jenko (Slo) Slovenia
79. Samuel Harrison (Gbr) Great Britain
80. Joseph Schmalz (USA) USA
81. Thomas Moses (Gbr) Great Britain
82. Antoine Duchesne (Can) Canada  
83. Maxat Ayazbayev (Kaz) Kazakhstan
84. Danil Fominykh (Kaz) Kazakhstan
85. Racso Gonzalez Toledo (Cub) Cuba
86. Luca Wackermann (Ita) Italy  0:17:30