CYCLING – Team Bahrain Victorious ace Vlad van Mechelen took the best young rider’s jersey yesterday after the first stage of the 21st Renewi Tour in Belgium.
Van Mechelen finished the rain-hit 191.3-kilometre leg in 13th place as Bahrain Victorious’ best-placed competitor.
The Belgian was joined in the top 20 by Italian teammate Alessandro Borgo in 16th, while Slovenian Zak Erzen took 24th.
Alec Segaert, also from Belgium, was 47th and Matej Mojoric, also from Slovenia, was 68th yesterday.
Bahrain Victorious’ line-up was completed by Pole Kamil Gradek in 99th and Australian Robert Stannard in 106th from the field of more than 150 riders.
Along with taking first place in stage one on the youth rankings, van Mechelen was 18th in the general classification, while Bahrain Victorious topped the teams’ standings with four stages to go in the elite men’s road event.
Today’s second stage covers 173.9km.