Marco Marcato wins the Paris-Tours 2012
Marco Marcato of Team Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling secured the biggest race of his 2012 season by winning the Paris-Tours 2012 on Sunday.
The cyclist rode exceptionally well during the 235.5 kilometre race and occupied the top podium position.
He took a total time of 4 hours, 50 minutes and 34 seconds and restricted the race favourites, Laurens De Vreese of Team Topsport Vlaanderen-Mercator and Niki Terpstra of Team Omega Pharma-Quickstep finished almost at the same time and had to settle for
the second and the third positions respectively.
"Unfortunately, in the absence of radios, I didn't much of information," Marcato explained after the race.
"But I saw on the blackboard that there was a group at fifteen seconds and the peloton at 35 seconds”.
“Obviously, had guys like Degenkolb, [Nacer] Bouhanni and [Adam] Blythe come across, it would have meant the end of my hopes," he concluded.
The Italian was delighted after occupying the top podium position at the French race and noted that it is one of the biggest wins of his professional career.
His only other victory in the season include a stage 4 win at the Etoile de Besseges 2012 and winning the Paris-Tours 2012 will definitely ease some load off his shoulders.
John Degenkolb of Team Argos-Shimano finished 6 seconds behind and had to settle for the fourth position at the Paris-Tours 2012.
"I understood this group was going for the victory but there were still three guys at the front," the German told Cyclingnews.
"I was following Van Avermaet but since I was the strongest in the group, I tried because I only had one team-mate left with me”.
Laurent Pichon of Team Bretagne-Schuller finished further 6 seconds behind the race leader and secured the fifth position with Greg Van Avermaet of Team BMC and Bjorn Leukemans of Team Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling claiming the sixth and the seventh positions
respectively.
Sylvain Chavanel of Team Omega Pharma-Quickstep launched the first attack and was accompanied by Michael Hepburn of Team Orica-GreenEdge.
Chavanel could not continue the lead and finally had to settle for the 83rd overall position after the race with Michael Hepburn finishing at the 142nd position.
Top fifteen cyclists after Paris-Tours 2012 are as under,
1
Marco Marcato (Ita) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team
4:50:34
2
Laurens De Vreese (Bel) Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator
3
Niki Terpstra (Ned) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
4
John Degenkolb (Ger) Argos - Shimano
0:00:06
5
Laurent Pichon (Fra) Bretagne - Schuller
0:00:12
6
Greg Van Avermaet (Bel) BMC Racing Team
7
Björn Leukemans (Bel) Vacansoleil-Dcm Pro Cycling Team
8
Jonathan Hivert (Fra) Saur - Sojasun
0:00:19
9
Jens Keukeleire (Bel) Orica GreenEdge Cycling Team
10
Zdenek Stybar (Cze) Omega Pharma-Quickstep
11
Sébastien Turgot (Fra) Team Europcar
12
Jakob Fuglsang (Den) Radioshack-Nissan
13
Roy Curvers (Ned) Argos - Shimano
14
Julien Berard (Fra) AG2R La Mondiale
15
Adam Blythe (GBr) BMC Racing Team
0:00:28
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