Equipe Nationale D'erythre team’s Natnael Berhane wins first stage of
2011 Tour d’Algerie
Equipe Nationale D'erythre team’s Natnael Berhane showed his tremendous performance and won the first stage of 2011 Tour d’Algerie on Monday, June 27. He also took the overall leader’s yellow and white jersey.
The race started in Alger and ended in Ain Defla. Natnael took a total of 3 hours, 30 minutes and 1 second to cover the distance of 149 kilometres.
Adil Jelloul of the Equipe Nationale Du Maroc team was in the second spot and Azeddine Lagab of Grpment Sportif Petrolier Algerie finished in the third place.
Tarik Chaoufi of Equipe Nationale Du Maroc tried his best to catch the three leading cyclists, but he failed and grabbed the fourth place with five seconds adrfit to Natnael's timing.
Only one rider, Ahmed M'Raihi of Equipe Nationale De La Tunise, was disqualified from the stage.
After 21 kilometres, a group of 10 riders made their first breakaway. All of them working together and quickly managed to gain a lead of one minute and ten seconds over the peloton.
After a few attacks in the stage, a group of ten riders was joined by the other thirteen cyclists including, Natnael Berhane, Adil Jelloul and Azeddine. 23 cyclists, including seven riders from Algeria, managed to build an advantage of 2 minutes and 45 seconds
over the peloton.
With only a few kilometres to go in the stage, a group of six cyclists took the lead and got away. The three riders managed the second breakaway in the final 5 kilometres. Adil tried his best to take the lead, but he failed and Natnael crossed the finish-line,
ahead of other riders.
The four riders including Tarik Chaoufi, Natnael Berhane, Frederic Lubach and Reda Aadel (Equipe Nationale Du Maroc) were in for a lead in the first mountain of the stage. However, Tarik took the first mountain ahead of Natnael.
Nabil Baz of the Ville D’Alger Ain Benian team maintained his pace and took the second mountain with 10 points, ahead of Azeddine Lagab of the Grpment Sportif Petrolier Algerie team and Tarik Chaoufi.
Adil Jelloul took the overall best sprinter green jersey with 30 points and Tarik Chaoufi took the overall King of Mountain (KOM) title ahead of Nabil and Lagab.
Point’s classification:
1. Natnael Berhane (Eri) Equipe Nationale D'erythre team, 30 points
2. Youcef Reguigui (Alg) Grpment Sportif Petrolier Algerie team, 27 points
3. Adil Jelloul (Mar) Equipe Nationale Du Maroc team, 27 points
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