Team Polti Kometa starts the Boucles de la Mayenne with David Martín’s polka dot jersey

Redeeming the initial misfortune: you’re doing it right. Victim of a mechanical problem yesterday in the evening ITT prologue, David Martín today tackles the first road stage of the Boucles de la Mayenne head-on. After 5 kilometers from the start, the 25-year-old Andalusian breaks away with three other riders, wins two intermediate sprints and all three KOMs, thus wearing the polka dot jersey.

At 15 kilometers from the finish, the protagonist of the day is absorbed back into the peloton to help his teammates chase down his former adventure companions. The pursuit materializes 500 meters from the finish on Avenue de la Libération in Ernée, where the local favorite Jeannière wins a sprint in which Team Polti Kometa ends up partially involved in a crash: Manuel Peñalver does not fall but hits the barriers with an arm. So Erik Fetter sprints to 25th place.

“Today I imagined that the breakaway could go all the way – explains Martín – and I almost got the prediction right! In the finale I felt some cramps, but I’m fine and already focused on managing my strength to preserve the leadership among climbers.”

After following the race from the Polti Kometa’s car, this is sports director Biagio Conte‘s comment: “Well done David, he fought for every goal and tomorrow, in the most challenging stage, he’ll try to defend the jersey he acquired. It’s a pity for the inconvenience that happened to Manuel, fortunately it doesn’t seem too serious.”