Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team rider Serge Pauwels was a key protagonist in the opening stage of Tour de Pologne, in the Italian Dolomites, on Saturday. Pauwels — after staying ahead with Barto Huzarski (NetApp Endura) out of an original seven rider escape group — went solo as the gap was down to less than 1'15" inside the final 15km.
The stage included two Category 1 climbs and a Category 2 climb, and finished on Madonna di Campiglio (13.3km, 5.6%). Pauwels was caught in the 184.5km first stage with about 9km to go, and a select group decided the stage after Pieter Weening (ORICA-GreenEDGE) was caught inside the final kilometer. Diego Ulissi (Lampre-Merida) won the stage, with Darwin Atapuma (Colombian Cycling Team) 2nd and Rafal Majka (Saxo-Tinkoff) 3rd.
Gianluca Brambilla was the top OPQS finisher, in 28th place. OPQS looks next to another stage in the Italian Dolomites tomorrow. The stage is 195.5km with a summit finish on Passo Pordoi.
