The Czech was our fastest rider on the first stage of the Italian World Tour race.
Josef Cerny produced a solid display on the opening day of Tirreno-Adriatico, a flat individual time trial held around Lido di Camaiore. One of the early riders to roll down the start ramp, the multiple national champion of the discipline averaged over 51.5km/h Monday afternoon and stopped the clock in 11:39, a result that put him second provisional.
The 30-year-old stayed there until the closing moments of the race, when three riders bumped him into fifth place for the smallest of margins, only two seconds separating Josef from the podium on the stage won by Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates).
The “Race of the Two Seas” will continue now with a journey from Camaiore to Follonica, in the province of Grosseto. Despite the presence of two classified climbs, the day should belong to the sprinters, especially as the last of these two hurdles will come with more than 60 kilometers to go.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
