Cimolai of Italy wins 1st stage of Tour of Catalonia

Published Mar. 20, 2017 12:39 p.m. ET

CALELLA, Spain (AP) Davide Cimolai of Italy won the opening stage of the Tour of Catalonia by less than a wheel on Monday.

The FDJ rider pushed his wheel just in front of Nacer Bouhanni as the two broke away in the final meters of the 179-kilometer (111-mile) mountainous stage starting and ending in the coastal town of Calella.

''The objective was to win one stage, and now I work for the team,'' Cimolai said after finishing the stage in 4 1/2 hours.

It was his second career win at the Tour of Catalonia after also winning a stage last year.

Tour de France winner Chris Froome and top rivals Alberto Contador and Alejandro Valverde finished safely in the peloton.

The stage on Tuesday is a 41-kilometer (25-mile) team time trial to and from Banyoles.

The week-long race in northeastern Spain concludes on Sunday in Barcelona.