Vuelta a Chihuahua – Stage 1

Chihuahua to Camargo 147.8 km – Mark Walters finishes 4^th
Today’s stage was relatively flat and a bunch sprint was likely, but being the first day of a stage race, we didn’t want to take the chance of missing the early move.  All the Team RACE Pro riders spent some time up front in the action and Kier Plaice got himself into the first break.  There was also some action we didn’t need when another rider crashed Frank 2km into the race.  He is OK.  About 40 km in to the race, Keir’s break was caught and shortly after that a solo rider escaped followed by three others who never caught the solo rider.  We were not in the move, but we knew that other teams would chase it down.  After the break formed it was clear that the stage would come down to a field sprint, so we all relaxed and waited for the end.  
The breakaway riders were all caught in the last 10 or 15 km, by the Techos and Scott/American Beef chase.  They tried to keep the lead out going until the end, but in the last few km’s no teams dominated the lead out.  With some help from Frank and Buck, I managed to move my way through the pack and enter the last 500 meters in the top 6 or 7.  I waited for the acceleration and did my best.  In the last 50 meters I started catching the 3^rd place rider from Techos and was really motivated to get on the podium, but I couldn’t pass him.

Today could be a good sign for things to come this week.  The next two stages are very mountainous and will decide the GC.  Hopefully we will all have our climbing legs on.

Resluts:
1-Javier Benitez (ESP) BENFICA
2-Steffen Radolchla (GER) ELK HAUS-SIMPLON
3-Juan P. Magallanes (MEX) TECOS-TREK
4-Mark Walter (CAN) TEAM RACE PRO
All the 6 other TRP riders finished sametime in the peloton
117 riders finished today

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