October 09, 2012 (Beijing, China) – Italy’s Elia Viviani (Liquigas-Cannondale) is the first to wear the red jersey of leader of the Tour of Beijing after he took victory on the opening stage in a bunch sprint on Tuesday.

Viviani is already a worthy ambassador for the race as his photo is on thousands of banners all over Beijing City to advertise the event, where his victory in stage four last year was his best success at 22 years-old. Viviani shares headlines with Novak Djokovic around Beijing, with banners also promoting the China Open tennis.

Andy Fenn (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) and Edvald Boasson Hagen (Team Sky) finished second and third  respectively in a sprint made very close and fast by the tailwind and the smooth road passing between the Olympic Stadium – the “Bird’s Nest” – and the Water Cube.

The criterium-like show was flat within the 117-kilometer journey which started from Tian An Men Square and included twelve laps in the Olympic Park. The wind played an important role in the speed and tactics, blowing so strongly that it swept away the gantry on the finish line as soon as it was erected.

Viviani explained Liquigas-Cannondale’s tactic “was to ride near the front no matter what because on a circuit like this, you’d use up a lot less energy.”

“In the final, my teammates helped to get me into position. Then I took Boasson Hagen’s wheel in the last kilometre and I stayed cool on his wheel. I managed to go at the right time and shake him off well in the last 250 metres.”

“I needed to win today because I was not really happy with my latest results,” he said.

Viviani finished second on several occasions across both the Tour of Poland and Vuelta a Espana and his last victory was at the end of March at the Settimana Coppi e Bartali.

“I am happy about this,” Viviani smiled. “I now hope to win on another stage.”
Andy Schleck (RadioShack-Nissan), despite the high speed was happy for his second race back from a long layoff with injury, finishing at 21 seconds to Viviani.

“My day was better than expected,” he said. “I had no pain and I could stay on the saddle for most of the time.”
In the first kilometres of the stage Taylor Phinney (BMC Racing Team) was one of many who unsuccessfully tried to break away.

A five-man group took the lead eight kilometers after the start: Marco Bandiera (Omega Pharma-QuickStep), Matthieu Ladagnous (FDJ-BigMat), Bert-Jan Lindeman (Vacansoleil-CM), Craig Lewis (Champion System Pro Cycling) and Adriano Malori (Lampre-ISD).

Malori, who was award for his efforts with the most combative rider following the stage, said: “The wind was crazy and we couldn’t properly understand where it was coming from. So it was easy for the peloton to play with us.”
The breakaway’s gap went up to two minutes forty but the peloton kept the situation under control through Orica-GreenEdge’s strong tempo.

The American Lewis was the last rider to be caught, one and a half laps from the finish, doing justice to his Chinese-based team Champion System Pro Cycling’s call up to the tour. The Tour of Beijing is the first UCI WorldTour race for all but one of his teammates and his first one since the 2011 Giro d’Italia where he rode for HTC-Columbia.

Six seconds of time bonuses were picked up at the two intermediate sprints by France’s Ladagnous, which gives him 3rd place overall behind Viviani and Fenn in the general classification.

The stage’s start from Tian An Men Square was definitely the most emotional part of the day, as the largest square in the world (40 ha) was exclusively dedicated to the Tour of Beijing.

“It’s a privilege the square is just for ourselves,” said France’s Romain Bardet (AG2R-La Mondiale).

New Zealand’s Jesse Sergent (RadioShack-Nissan) added: “It’s a nice feeling to be in a place with a lot of history. We are lucky because the wind made the sky sunny.”

Stage two on Wednesday will lead the riders over 126 kilometres from the “Bird’s Nest” to Mentougou, in the western hills of Beijing.

The route suits the sprinters and strong “finisseurs” again, although a category one climb is positioned at halfway, 10.8 kilometres long with an average gradient of 6.4%. The two intermediate sprints, set in the first part of the stage, might inspire the escape artists.

Results

1. Elia Viviani (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 2:37:49
2. Andrew Fenn (Gbr) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
3. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Procycling
4. Kenny Robert Van Hummel (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
5. Greg Henderson (Nzl) Lotto Belisol Team
6. Theo Bos (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
7. Enrique Sanz (Esp) Movistar Team
8. Aidis Kruopis (Ltu) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
9. Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-ISD
10. Klaas Lodewyck (Bel) BMC Racing Team
11. Barry Markus (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
12. Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
13. Alexey Tsatevich (Rus) Katusha Team
14. Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
15. Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Garmin-Sharp
16. Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
17. Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) Movistar Team
18. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
19. Jesus Herrada Lopez (Esp) Movistar Team
20. Valentin Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
21. Steve Houanard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
22. Daniele Pietropolli (Ita) Lampre-ISD
23. Aaron Kemps (Aus) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
24. Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre-ISD
25. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
26. Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) BMC Racing Team
27. Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team
28. Clinton Robert Avery (Nzl) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
29. Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin-Sharp
30. Ivan Velasco Murillo (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
31. Tony Martin (Ger) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
32. Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
33. Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
34. Tomasz Marczynski (Pol) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
35. Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Katusha Team
36. Christopher Sutton (Aus) Sky Procycling
37. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
38. Allan Davis (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
39. Timofey Kritskiy (Rus) Katusha Team
40. Jesse Sergent (Nzl) RadioShack-Nissan
41. Gert Dockx (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
42. Rafal Majka (Pol) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
43. Tiziano Dall’antonia (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
44. Joost Van Leijen (Ned) Lotto Belisol Team
45. Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
46. Eros Capecchi (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
47. Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
48. Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ-Big Mat
49. Jan Bakelants (Bel) RadioShack-Nissan
50. Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team
51. Davide Vigano (Ita) Lampre-ISD
52. Benjamin King (USA) RadioShack-Nissan
53. Marco Haller (Aut) Katusha Team
54. Rudiger Selig (Ger) Katusha Team
55. Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
56. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Sharp
57. Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Astana Pro Team
58. Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
59. Maarten Neyens (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:00:09
60. Jos Van Emden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
61. Mathias Frank (Sui) BMC Racing Team
62. Mikel Nieve Ituralde (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
63. Pengda Jiao (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
64. Daniele Bennati (Ita) RadioShack-Nissan
65. Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
66. Igor Anton Hernandez (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
67. Gorka Verdugo Marcotegui (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
68. David Tanner (Aus) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
69. Maarten Wynants (Bel) Rabobank Cycling Team
70. José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Esp) Movistar Team
71. George Bennett (Nzl) RadioShack-Nissan
72. Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
73. Martin Kohler (Sui) BMC Racing Team
74. Petr Ignatenko (Rus) Katusha Team
75. Simon Clarke (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
76. Luke Rowe (Gbr) Sky Procycling
77. Pablo Lastras Garcia (Esp) Movistar Team
78. Johan Vansummeren (Bel) Garmin-Sharp
79. Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Garmin-Sharp
80. Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) FDJ-Big Mat
81. Christian Meier (Can) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
82. Mikhail Ignatyev (Rus) Katusha Team
83. Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
84. Pim Ligthart (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
85. Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Esp) Movistar Team
86. Anthony Geslin (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
87. Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
88. Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol Team
89. Jaroslaw Marycz (Pol) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
90. Leigh Howard (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
91. Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
92. Kun Jiang (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
93. Manuele Boaro (Ita) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
94. Danilo Wyss (Sui) BMC Racing Team
95. Dario Cataldo (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
96. Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Esp) RadioShack-Nissan
97. Mehdi Sohrabi (Iri) Lotto Belisol Team
98. Grega Bole (Slo) Lampre-ISD
99. Jetse Bol (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
100. Julien Vermote (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
101. Maxim Belkov (Rus) Katusha Team
102. Peio Bilbao (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
103. Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Garmin-Sharp
104. Davide Cimolai (Ita) Lampre-ISD
105. Javier Iriarte (Esp) Movistar Team
106. Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Sky Procycling
107. Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) Movistar Team
108. Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
109. Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
110. Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
111. Moreno Moser (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
112. Mads Christensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
113. Chris Butler (USA) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
114. Thomas Dekker (Ned) Garmin-Sharp
115. Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team
116. Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Astana Pro Team
117. Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
118. Morris Possoni (Ita) Lampre-ISD
119. Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
120. Anders Lund (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
121. Alex Howes (USA) Garmin-Sharp
122. Stephen Cummings (Gbr) BMC Racing Team
123. Alex Dowsett (Gbr) Sky Procycling
124. Gang Xu (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
125. Hayden Roulston (Nzl) RadioShack-Nissan
126. Maciej Paterski (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:00:21
127. Cristiano Salerno (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
128. Andy Schleck (Lux) RadioShack-Nissan
129. Craig Lewis (USA) Champion System Pro Cycling Team 0:00:37
130. Mitchell Docker (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:00:45
131. Daniele Ratto (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:00:47
132. Mikel Landa Meana (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:00:57
133. Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:01:03
134. Iljo Keisse (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:01:06
135. Kenny De Haes (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
136. Sylvain Georges (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:01:11
137. Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:01:33
138. Juan Manuel Garate (Esp) Rabobank Cycling Team
139. Biao Liu (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team 0:01:35
140. Marco Bandiera (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:01:44
141. Adriano Malori (Ita) Lampre-ISD
142. Miguel Minguez Ayala (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
DNF David Boucher (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat

GC after Stage 1

1. Elia Viviani (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 2:37:39
2. Andrew Fenn (Gbr) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:00:04
3. Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
4. Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) Sky Procycling 0:00:06
5. Kenny Robert Van Hummel (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:00:10
6. Greg Henderson (Nzl) Lotto Belisol Team
7. Theo Bos (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
8. Enrique Sanz (Esp) Movistar Team
9. Aidis Kruopis (Ltu) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
10. Alessandro Petacchi (Ita) Lampre-ISD
11. Klaas Lodewyck (Bel) BMC Racing Team
12. Barry Markus (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
13. Lloyd Mondory (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
14. Alexey Tsatevich (Rus) Katusha Team
15. Tim Wellens (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
16. Heinrich Haussler (Aus) Garmin-Sharp
17. Lucas Sebastian Haedo (Arg) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
18. Rui Alberto Faria Da Costa (Por) Movistar Team
19. Jean-Christophe Peraud (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
20. Jesus Herrada Lopez (Esp) Movistar Team
21. Valentin Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
22. Steve Houanard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
23. Daniele Pietropolli (Ita) Lampre-ISD
24. Aaron Kemps (Aus) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
25. Manuele Mori (Ita) Lampre-ISD
26. Rinaldo Nocentini (Ita) AG2R La Mondiale
27. Mauro Santambrogio (Ita) BMC Racing Team
28. Andriy Grivko (Ukr) Astana Pro Team
29. Clinton Robert Avery (Nzl) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
30. Daniel Martin (Irl) Garmin-Sharp
31. Ivan Velasco Murillo (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
32. Tony Martin (Ger) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
33. Romain Bardet (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
34. Tomasz Marczynski (Pol) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
35. Vladimir Gusev (Rus) Katusha Team
36. Christopher Sutton (Aus) Sky Procycling
37. Steven Kruijswijk (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
38. Allan Davis (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
39. Timofey Kritskiy (Rus) Katusha Team
40. Jesse Sergent (Nzl) RadioShack-Nissan
41. Gert Dockx (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
42. Rafal Majka (Pol) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
43. Tiziano Dall’antonia (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
44. Joost Van Leijen (Ned) Lotto Belisol Team
45. Mikael Cherel (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
46. Eros Capecchi (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
47. Francesco Chicchi (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
48. Dominique Rollin (Can) FDJ-Big Mat
49. Jan Bakelants (Bel) RadioShack-Nissan
50. Tanel Kangert (Est) Astana Pro Team
51. Davide Vigano (Ita) Lampre-ISD
52. Benjamin King (USA) RadioShack-Nissan
53. Marco Haller (Aut) Katusha Team
54. Rudiger Selig (Ger) Katusha Team
55. Samuel Sanchez Gonzalez (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
56. Ryder Hesjedal (Can) Garmin-Sharp
57. Francesco Gavazzi (Ita) Astana Pro Team
58. Anthony Roux (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
59. Bert-Jan Lindeman (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team 0:00:16
60. Maarten Neyens (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team 0:00:19
61. Jos Van Emden (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
62. Mathias Frank (Sui) BMC Racing Team
63. Mikel Nieve Ituralde (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
64. Pengda Jiao (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
65. Daniele Bennati (Ita) RadioShack-Nissan
66. Tom Jelte Slagter (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
67. Igor Anton Hernandez (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
68. Gorka Verdugo Marcotegui (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
69. David Tanner (Aus) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
70. Maarten Wynants (Bel) Rabobank Cycling Team
71. José Ivan Gutierrez Palacios (Esp) Movistar Team
72. George Bennett (Nzl) RadioShack-Nissan
73. Johnny Hoogerland (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
74. Martin Kohler (Sui) BMC Racing Team
75. Petr Ignatenko (Rus) Katusha Team
76. Simon Clarke (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
77. Luke Rowe (Gbr) Sky Procycling
78. Pablo Lastras Garcia (Esp) Movistar Team
79. Johan Vansummeren (Bel) Garmin-Sharp
80. Fabian Wegmann (Ger) Garmin-Sharp
81. Jussi Veikkanen (Fin) FDJ-Big Mat
82. Christian Meier (Can) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
83. Mikhail Ignatyev (Rus) Katusha Team
84. Frederik Veuchelen (Bel) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
85. Pim Ligthart (Ned) Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team
86. Juan Jose Cobo Acebo (Esp) Movistar Team
87. Anthony Geslin (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
88. Wesley Sulzberger (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
89. Adam Hansen (Aus) Lotto Belisol Team
90. Jaroslaw Marycz (Pol) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
91. Leigh Howard (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
92. Mauro Da Dalto (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
93. Kun Jiang (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
94. Manuele Boaro (Ita) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
95. Danilo Wyss (Sui) BMC Racing Team
96. Dario Cataldo (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
97. Haimar Zubeldia Agirre (Esp) RadioShack-Nissan
98. Mehdi Sohrabi (Iri) Lotto Belisol Team
99. Grega Bole (Slo) Lampre-ISD
100. Jetse Bol (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team
101. Julien Vermote (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
102. Maxim Belkov (Rus) Katusha Team
103. Peio Bilbao (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi
104. Christophe Le Mevel (Fra) Garmin-Sharp
105. Davide Cimolai (Ita) Lampre-ISD
106. Javier Iriarte (Esp) Movistar Team
107. Salvatore Puccio (Ita) Sky Procycling
108. Ignatas Konovalovas (Ltu) Movistar Team
109. Sebastian Langeveld (Ned) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
110. Jérémy Roy (Fra) FDJ-Big Mat
111. Frantisek Rabon (Cze) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
112. Moreno Moser (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
113. Mads Christensen (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
114. Chris Butler (USA) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
115. Thomas Dekker (Ned) Garmin-Sharp
116. Taylor Phinney (USA) BMC Racing Team
117. Jacopo Guarnieri (Ita) Astana Pro Team
118. Morris Possoni (Ita) Lampre-ISD
119. Maxim Iglinskiy (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
120. Anders Lund (Den) Team Saxo Bank-Tinkoff Bank
121. Alex Howes (USA) Garmin-Sharp
122. Stephen Cummings (Gbr) BMC Racing Team
123. Alex Dowsett (Gbr) Sky Procycling
124. Gang Xu (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team
125. Hayden Roulston (Nzl) RadioShack-Nissan
126. Maciej Paterski (Pol) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:00:31
127. Cristiano Salerno (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale
128. Andy Schleck (Lux) RadioShack-Nissan
129. Craig Lewis (USA) Champion System Pro Cycling Team 0:00:47
130. Mitchell Docker (Aus) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team 0:00:55
131. Daniele Ratto (Ita) Liquigas-Cannondale 0:00:57
132. Mikel Landa Meana (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi 0:01:07
133. Dmitriy Gruzdev (Kaz) Astana Pro Team 0:01:13
134. Iljo Keisse (Bel) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:01:16
135. Kenny De Haes (Bel) Lotto Belisol Team
136. Sylvain Georges (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale 0:01:21
137. Maarten Tjallingii (Ned) Rabobank Cycling Team 0:01:43
138. Juan Manuel Garate (Esp) Rabobank Cycling Team
139. Biao Liu (Chn) Champion System Pro Cycling Team 0:01:45
140. Marco Bandiera (Ita) Omega Pharma-Quickstep 0:01:51
141. Adriano Malori (Ita) Lampre-ISD 0:01:54
142. Miguel Minguez Ayala (Esp) Euskaltel-Euskadi