BinckBank Tour. Stage 1. Race in Belgium and the Netherlands starts with wet bunch sprint

NUR-SULTAN. KAZINFORM Stage 1 of the BinckBank Tour was decided in a bunch sprint on the wet roads of the city of Hulst, as the peloton spent most of the day in heavy rains after the start in Beveren.

Sam Bennett took the stage win and the overall leadwith his sprint after 167 kilometers of racing, while all Astana ridersfinished safely in the bunch. Davide Ballerini aimed for a sprint, but apuncture in the final 10 kilometers of the race ruined his chances for a goodstage result, Astana Pro Team’s official website reads.

«I tried something on the cobbles, but the stage was not hard enough to make adifference today. Then I wanted to go for a sprint, my teammates helped me tostay at the front of the bunch. But with less than 10 kilometers to go, I had apuncture. I came back in the peloton but was not able to do a sprint anymore.But it was a good day, especially because yesterday I had a hard race at theEuropean Championships. I’m confident and I really would like to show somethingthis week here in the BinckBank Tour,»said Davide Ballerini.

Stage 2will start in Blankenberge, to finish in Ardooie after 169,1 (flat) kilometers.