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Nacer Bouhanni sprints to his second stage victory in Giro d'Italia Nacer Bouhanni sprints to his second stage victory in Giro d'Italia
(about 5 hours later)
A new generation of bunch sprinters has emerged in France in the past couple of years but they have taken a while to make their mark on the world's biggest stage races. Week one of the Giro d'Italia, however, has been the making of Nacer Bouhanni, a stocky 23-year-old from Epinal in eastern France, who took his second stage win in four days in Foligno. His first stage came on Tuesday, when rain turned the finale in Bari into a lottery, but Friday's was rather more straightforward. A new generation of bunch sprinters has emerged in France in the past couple of years but they have taken a while to make their mark on the world's biggest stage races. Week one of the Giro d'Italia, however, has been the making of Nacer Bouhanni, a stocky 23-year-old from Épinal in eastern France, who took his second stage win in four days in Foligno. His first stage came on Tuesday, when rain turned the finale in Bari into a lottery, but Friday's was rather more straightforward.
Bouhanni's blue-clad FDJ.fr team, who are sponsored by the French national lottery, joined the Giant squad of Luka Mezgec and Elia Viviani's Cannondale in pulling back a five-man escape before the tricky finish, with four bends in the final 1,500m. The Frenchman and Mezgec – who has taken over as Giant's sprinter following the withdrawal of Marcel Kittel – emerged from the final curve at the front, and Bouhanni squeezed between the Slovenian and the barriers for victory. Bouhanni's blue-clad FDJ.fr team, who are sponsored by the French national lottery, joined the Giant squad of Luka Mezgec and Elia Viviani's Cannondale in pulling back a five-man escape before the tricky finish, with four bends in the final 1,500m. The Frenchman and Mezgec – who has taken over as Giant's sprinter following the withdrawal of Marcel Kittel – emerged from the final curve at the front and Bouhanni squeezed between the Slovenian and the barriers for victory.
The race leader, Michael Matthews, had another good finish, taking fourth, although the mountain-top finishes over the weekend may curtail his tenure of the pink jersey.The race leader, Michael Matthews, had another good finish, taking fourth, although the mountain-top finishes over the weekend may curtail his tenure of the pink jersey.
Bouhanni has a diverse background, that includes a brief stint as a gendarme, and a beginning in sport as a boxer, and he has won stages in prestigious second-tier events such as Paris-Nice and the Critérium International. This week marks a change of register, however, and it puts him at the head of the pack of young French fast men. It is a good while since France had one top-notch road sprinter, but there are three emerging at present. Bouhanni has a diverse background, that includes a brief stint as a gendarme and a beginning in sport as a boxer, and he has won stages in prestigious second-tier events such as Paris-Nice and the Critérium International. This week marks a change of register, however, and it puts him at the head of the pack of young French fast men. It is a good while since France had one top-notch road sprinter but three are emerging at present.
They include Bryan Coquard, who is just 22 and has performed well on the road since winning the omnium on the track at London 2012, and Bouhanni's team-mate Arnaud Démare, winner last week of the Four Days of Dunkirk. To underline their progress, on Friday, as Bouhanni was winning in Italy, Coquard and Démare were duelling at the Tour of Picardie, where Coquard took the honours. They include Bryan Coquard, who is just 22 and has performed well on the road since winning the silver medal in the omnium on the track at London 2012, and Bouhanni's team-mate Arnaud Démare, winner last week of the Four Days of Dunkirk. To underline their progress, as Bouhanni was winning in Italy on Friday, Coquard and Démare were duelling at the Tour of Picardie, where Coquard took the honours.
The only Briton in the Giro, Ben Swift, was in the mix in the final kilometre in a stage that he had hoped to target, but he slipped back as Bouhanni and Mezgec battled it out in front of him. Then again, he was probably just glad to be there, given that – according to his team-mate Philip Deignan's blog – he had been among the fallers on the road to Monte Cassino, and had hit his hip with such force that at the finish he fainted in the shower in the Team Sky bus. The only Briton in the Giro, Ben Swift, was in the mix in the final kilometre in a stage he had hoped to target but he slipped back as Bouhanni and Mezgec battled it out in front of him. Then again he was probably just glad to be there, given that – according to his team-mate Philip Deignan's blog – he had been among the fallers on the road to Monte Cassino and had hit his hip with such force that at the finish he fainted in the shower in the Team Sky bus.
The sprinters will have no further opportunities until Tuesday, and the weekend's hilly stages through Tuscany and Emilia Romagna both have mountain-top finishes, at Montecopiolo and Sestola respectively. They are not the highest or toughest climbs in the race, but they could prove too much for the race leader, Michael Matthews, and they should give some indication of the form of Cadel Evans's Colombian rivals for overall victory, Rigoberto Urán and Nairo Quintana. The sprinters will have no further opportunities until Tuesday and the weekend's hilly stages through Tuscany and Emilia Romagna both have mountain-top finishes, at Montecopiolo and Sestola respectively. They are not the highest or toughest climbs in the race but they could prove too much for Matthews and they should give some indication of the form of Cadel Evans' Colombian rivals for overall victory, Rigoberto Urán and Nairo Quintana.
Neither has enjoyed a particularly happy opening week – although at least they are both in one piece – and they will want to begin closing the gap Evans has opened.Neither has enjoyed a particularly happy opening week – although at least they are both in one piece – and they will want to begin closing the gap Evans has opened.
Sir Bradley Wiggins remains in a commanding position in the Tour of California with three stages remaining including the final summit finish at Mount Diablo.Sir Bradley Wiggins remains in a commanding position in the Tour of California with three stages remaining including the final summit finish at Mount Diablo.
The 2012 Tour de France winner survived what he described as "the hottest day I've ever spent on my bike" en route to Monterey on Thursday, and retained his 28sec lead on the Australian Rohan Dennis, finishing in an elite lead group on the heels of the stage winner Taylor Phinney of the United States. The 2012 Tour de France winner survived what he described as "the hottest day I've ever spent on my bike" en route to Monterey on Thursday and retained his 28-second lead on the Australian Rohan Dennis, finishing in an elite lead group on the heels of the stage winner, Taylor Phinney of the United States.