Coquard beats Vivani to Route d’Occitanie stage one win

Bryan Coquard (B&B Hotels – Vital Concept) won the opening stage of the Route d’Occitanie in a crash-marred finale.

The Frenchman was faster than Elia Viviani (Cofidis) and Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain McLaren), and takes the leader’s jersey in the four-day race in southeastern France.

“It was a difficult finish,” said Coquard. “Jens Debusschere got me into a very good position, and then just before the last bend Colbrelli and Viviani went through on my inside. Colbrelli opened his sprint right away and I got onto Viviani’s wheel. Colbrelli faded about 50 metres from the line and I just managed to get past Elia before the line.

Chris Froome finished almost a minute behind the leading pack. The British rider is making a comeback after a horrible injury and a long recovery following a crash in last year’s Criterium du Dauphine.

Route d’Occitanie 2020 – stage 1 results (Saint-Affrique – Cazouls-lès-Béziers):

1	Bryan Coquard (B&B Hotels – Vital Concept)	4:35:00
2	Elia Viviani (Cofidis)	,,
3	Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain McLaren)	,,
4	Andrea Pasqualon (Circus – Wanty Gobert)	,,
5	Clement Venturini (AG2R La Mondiale)	,,
6	Egan Bernal (Team Ineos)	,,
7	Josef Černý (CCC)	,,
8	Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale)	,,
9	Anthony Maldonado (St Michel – Auber 93)	,,
10	Nick Van der Lijke (Riwal Readynez)	,,

Route d’Occitanie 2020 – general classification after stage 1:

1	Bryan Coquard (B&B Hotels – Vital Concept)	4:34:50
2	Elia Viviani (Cofidis)	+04”
3	Lilian Calmejane (Total Direct Energie)	+05”
4	Sonny Colbrelli (Bahrain McLaren)	+06”
5	Andreas Kron (Riwal Readynez)	+09”
6	Andrea Pasqualon (Circus – Wanty Gobert)	+10”
7	Clement Venturini (AG2R La Mondiale)	,,
8	Egan Bernal (Team Ineos)	,,
9	Josef Černý (CCC)	,,
10	Romain Bardet (AG2R La Mondiale)	,,