Mauro Schmid moves up to fifth in the standings after the punchy finish in Romont.
Rémi Cavagna did what he does best in the last kilometers of Wednesday’s stage 1 of the Tour de Romandie and launched a powerful attack from a depleted peloton, that numbered around 40 riders, a consequence of a massive crash that happened inside the final 15 kilometers. The Frenchman, who is making his second appearance of the season in a World Tour race, dug deep and quickly opened up a ten-second advantage over the chasers.
At one point, it looked like the French Champion could finish it off, but a concerted effort of several teams ate into the gap and put an end to his spell at the front just two kilometers from the finish, which returned to the race after three years.
The last kilometer was a tough one, featuring double-digit gradients in the first part before softening up a bit near the finish. As expected, some cracks appeared in the peloton, from where Dylan Teuns (Bahrain Victorious) attacked with 200 meters to go and took the win.
A stage victor earlier this season at the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali, Mauro Schmid was Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl best finisher in Romont, taking tenth on the line. This result elevated the 22-year-old Swiss – who sits in fifth place on the general classification – to the top of the youth standings ahead of Thursday’s stage around Échallens.
Photo credit: ©Dario Belingheri / Getty Images
