2018 Challenge Illes Balears - Volta Ciclista a Mallorca (4 x 1.1)
27th edition: January 25 - 28, 2018
Challenge Illes Balears podium history | 2017 edition | 2019 edition | Start list
The Challenge Ciclista Mallorca is a series of four 1.1 races held in late January - early February on the Balearic Islands in the western Mediterranean sea. While each race is an independent 1.1 ranked competition, until 2010 there was a General Classification for an overall winner as well.
Stage 1, Trofeo Campos-Porreres-Felanitz-Ses Salinas | Stage 2, Trofero Serra de Tramuntana | Stage 3, Trofeo Lloseta-Andratx | Stage 4, Trofeo Palma
Sunday, January 28: 4th & final stage, Trofeo Palma, 159.6 km
John Degenkolb wins again.
The race: Here's the story from winner John Degenkolb's Trek-Segafredo team.
In only his second race start of the season, John Degenkolb made no mistake and sprinted to his second victory Sunday, taking the win in the Trofeo Palma, the final race of the Challenge Cyclista Mallorca. The win comes after Degenkolb claimed success in the opening race of the four-day series on Thursday, giving the German a perfect start to the year.
Degenkolb said: "I am so happy - thanks to my team! I know that I am in good shape and I feel pretty good. It's always nice to start the season like this. I think it's the first time I have won the first two races in a season, that's a premiere for me. To have this feeling, which I missed so much last year and now I have it already twice…It's so nice to be in the winning line again!"
The race began and finished in Palma and despite a significant climb with 40 kilometers to go, was destined to end in a bunch finish with both Trek-Segafredo and Lotto Soudal interested in bringing it together.
Steven De Jongh, Trek-Segafredo’s Sport Director, explained: "We wanted to let a small group go away so we could control the situation and that is what happened. The breakaway was not very strong, so we were always in control. Greggy (Rast) pulled until the bottom of the last climb and Markel (Irizar) and John punctured at the bottom, but they could come back. We still had six riders at the top, only Greggy was dropped, but he had a reason to drop after pulling all day. And then in the leadout, the boys did a wonderful job. They were all there with one goal and they delivered."
Coming off a two-week training camp in Mallorca, Trek-Segafredo had its Classics team around Degenkolb and controlled the 159-kilometer race from start to end. Degenkolb was positioned perfectly in the final meters, leaving little doubt to the outcome. Afterward, he heaped praise on his teammates:
"We showed again we were the strongest team in the race. It was fantastic teamwork; we took responsibility to control the race from the start and everyone on the team did the job he had to do. I had some bad luck just before the climb and I had to come back after a flat tire and it cost some energy, but it the end I was still able to follow in the big group.
"In the leadout, we picked the right moment to come to the front, and I only had to do the last 200 meters! So that was for me super nice and I am so happy. This victory is definitely a team victory - for all of us. We took the responsibility and we got the reward for it."
Complete results:
159.6 kilometers raced at an average speed of 42.095 km/hr
| 1 | DEGENKOLB, John | TREK-SEGAFREDO | 3hr 47min 29sec |
| 2 | BASKA, Erik | BORA-HANSGROHE | s.t. |
| 3 | VERMELTFOORT, Coen | ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTERIJ | s.t. |
| 4 | SANZ UNZUE, Enrique | EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY | s.t. |
| 5 | BARBERO, Carlos | MOVISTAR | s.t. |
| 6 | TORRES, Albert | SPAIN | s.t. |
| 7 | WARLOP, Jordi | SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOI | s.t. |
| 8 | ROJAS, José | MOVISTAR | s.t. |
| 9 | BASSO, Leonardo | SKY | s.t. |
| 10 | CAÑELLAS, Xavier | SPAIN | s.t. |
| 11 | EZQUERRA, Jesus | BURGOS-BH | s.t. |
| 12 | ISTA, Kevyn | WB AQUA PROTECT VERANCLASSIC | s.t. |
| 13 | LE ROUX, Romain | FORTUNEO-SAMSIC | s.t. |
| 14 | DECLERCQ, Benjamin | SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOI | s.t. |
| 15 | INSAUSTI, Jon Ander | TEAM EUSKADI | s.t. |
| 16 | SERRANO, Gonzalo | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | s.t. |
| 17 | PRADES, Eduard | EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY | s.t. |
| 18 | DE BUYST, Jasper | LOTTO-SOUDAL | s.t. |
| 19 | GOLAS, Michal | SKY | s.t. |
| 20 | SAEZ BENITO, Hector | EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY | s.t. |
| 21 | STUYVEN, Jasper | TREK-SEGAFREDO | s.t. |
| 22 | ERVITI, Imanol | MOVISTAR | s.t. |
| 23 | BRAVO, Garikoitz | EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY | s.t. |
| 24 | REINDERS, Elmar | ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTERIJ | s.t. |
| 25 | MARTIN, Gotzon | TEAM EUSKADI | s.t. |
| 26 | ANDEMESKEL, Awet | ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | s.t. |
| 27 | FERRARI, Fabricio | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | s.t. |
| 28 | SALAS, Ibai | BURGOS-BH | s.t. |
| 29 | PÖSTLBERGER, Lukas | BORA-HANSGROHE | @ 4sec |
| 30 | SESSLER, Nicolas | BURGOS-BH | s.t. |
| 31 | PEYSKENS, Dimitri | WB AQUA PROTECT VERANCLASSIC | s.t. |
| 32 | MERINO, Igor | BURGOS-BH | s.t. |
| 33 | DEIGNAN, Philip | SKY | s.t. |
| 34 | ROSON, Jaime | MOVISTAR | s.t. |
| 35 | LIGTHART, Pim | ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTERIJ | 10 |
| 36 | KONRAD, Patrick | BORA-HANSGROHE | 12 |
| 37 | MOSCON, Gianni | SKY | 16 |
| 38 | VAN POPPEL, Boy | TREK-SEGAFREDO | s.t. |
| 39 | REIJNEN, Kiel | TREK-SEGAFREDO | s.t. |
| 40 | IRIZAR, Markel | TREK-SEGAFREDO | s.t. |
| 41 | HOFLAND, Moreno | LOTTO-SOUDAL | s.t. |
| 42 | VALLS FERRI, Rafael | MOVISTAR | s.t. |
| 43 | NAESEN, Lawrence | LOTTO-SOUDAL | 22 |
| 44 | SCHWARZMANN, Michael | BORA-HANSGROHE | 26 |
| 45 | SPRENGERS, Thomas | SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOI | 34 |
| 46 | VAN GOETHEM, Brian | ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTERIJ | s.t. |
| 47 | BENEDETTI, Cesare | BORA-HANSGROHE | 38 |
| 48 | VANENDERT, Jelle | LOTTO-SOUDAL | 40 |
| 49 | FRISON, Frederik | LOTTO-SOUDAL | s.t. |
| 50 | JUARISTI, Txomin | TEAM EUSKADI | s.t. |
| 51 | LIETAER, Eliot | WB AQUA PROTECT VERANCLASSIC | s.t. |
| 52 | MOLLEMA, Bauke | TREK-SEGAFREDO | 51 |
| 53 | SAGAN, Juraj | BORA-HANSGROHE | s.t. |
| 54 | CAMPENAERTS, Victor | LOTTO-SOUDAL | 53 |
| 55 | COLOMBO, Raul | BIESSE CARRERA GAVARDO | 4:59 |
| 56 | MORTIER, Julien | WB AQUA PROTECT VERANCLASSIC | s.t. |
| 57 | DEHAES, Kenny | WB AQUA PROTECT VERANCLASSIC | s.t. |
| 58 | AMICI, Alberto | BIESSE CARRERA GAVARDO | s.t. |
| 59 | SALVADOR, Enrico | BIESSE CARRERA GAVARDO | s.t. |
| 60 | RAST, Gregory | TREK-SEGAFREDO | s.t. |
| 61 | STANNARD, Ian | SKY | s.t. |
| 62 | MORA, Sebastian | SPAIN | s.t. |
| 63 | GOIKOETXEA, Peio | TEAM EUSKADI | s.t. |
| 64 | VAN WINDEN, Dennis | ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | s.t. |
| 65 | VAN BAARLE, Dylan | SKY | s.t. |
| 66 | AMORES, Julio A | SPAIN | s.t. |
| 67 | AZURMENDI, Ibai | TEAM EUSKADI | s.t. |
| 68 | SOTO, Nelson A | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | s.t. |
| 69 | LOPEZ, Daniel | BURGOS-BH | s.t. |
| 70 | ELISSONDE, Kenny | SKY | s.t. |
| 71 | RODRIGUEZ, Cristian | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | s.t. |
| 72 | CELANO, Danilo | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | s.t. |
| 73 | GONZALEZ, Aitor | EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY | s.t. |
| 74 | PERICHON, Pierre Luc | FORTUNEO-SAMSIC | s.t. |
| 75 | BONNAMOUR, Franck | FORTUNEO-SAMSIC | s.t. |
| 76 | JARRIER, Benoit | FORTUNEO-SAMSIC | s.t. |
| 77 | WELTEN, Bram | FORTUNEO-SAMSIC | s.t. |
| 78 | VAN HECKE, Preben | SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOI | s.t. |
| 79 | VERWILST, Aaron | SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOI | s.t. |
| 80 | HAPPKE, Luca Felix | SAUERLAND NRW | 6:06 |
| 81 | GROSSER, Aaron | SAUERLAND NRW | s.t. |
| 82 | SIMON, Péter | PANNON CYCLING | s.t. |
| 83 | MÜNSTERMANN, Per Chris | SAUERLAND NRW | s.t. |
| 84 | DERUETTE, Thomas | WB AQUA PROTECT VERANCLASSIC | s.t. |
| 85 | GONZALEZ, Adrian | BURGOS-BH | s.t. |
| 86 | GARCIA, Ricardo | TEAM EUSKADI | s.t. |
| 87 | KNOLLE, Jon | SAUERLAND NRW | s.t. |
| 88 | GOZZI, Nicolo | BIESSE CARRERA GAVARDO | s.t. |
| 89 | DANIEL, Maxime | FORTUNEO-SAMSIC | s.t. |
| 90 | DELCÓ, Lorenzo | BIESSE CARRERA GAVARDO | s.t. |
| 91 | SARAMOTINS, Aleksejs | BORA-HANSGROHE | s.t. |
| 92 | ASSELMAN, Jesper | ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTERIJ | s.t. |
| 93 | DINA, Dániel | PANNON CYCLING | s.t. |
| 94 | TUREK, Daniel | ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | s.t. |
| 95 | ENGER, Sondre | ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | s.t. |
| 96 | NOPPE, Christophe | SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOI | s.t. |
| 97 | PLANCKAERT, Emiel | SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOI | s.t. |
| 98 | GARCIA, Vicente | SPAIN | s.t. |
| 99 | BENITO DIEZ, Miguel A | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | s.t. |
| 100 | WIPPERT, Wouter | ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTERIJ | 7:14 |
| 101 | INTRA, Felix | SAUERLAND NRW | 11:31 |
| 102 | HOLLÓ, Botond | PANNON CYCLING | 12:16 |
| 103 | FILUTÁS, Viktor | PANNON CYCLING | s.t. |
| 104 | SZABO, Miklos | PANNON CYCLING | s.t. |
| 105 | MOLINA, Antonio | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | 13:42 |
| 106 | PARDILLA, Sergio | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | s.t. |
| 107 | REIS, Rafael | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | s.t. |
| 108 | ARANBURU, Alex | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | 13:44 |
| 109 | VAN DER LIJKE, Nick | ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTERIJ | 14:46 |
| 110 | ZUAZUBISKAR, Illart | SPAIN | 15:21 |
| 111 | OROSZ, Gergo | PANNON CYCLING | s.t. |
| 112 | TORRES, Pablo | BURGOS-BH | 16:11 |
| 113 | ZATHURECZKY, Márk | PANNON CYCLING | 16:40 |
Saturday, January 27: Stage 3, Trofeo Lloseta-Andratx, 165.8 km
Tom Skujins finishes nearly a half minute ahead of his nearest chaser.
The race: Here's the story from second-place Gregor Muhlberger's Bora-hansgrohe team.
The penultimate day of the Mallorca Challenge saw an exciting final. After 80km of constant attacking from the peloton a trio went up the road. Shortly before the finish one rider launched a last attack but BORA – hansgrohe rider Gregor Mühlberger tried to close the gap. In the final, it was T. Skujins (Trek-Segafredo) who crossed the line as first ahead of the BORA – hansgrohe rider.
The Stage
The third day of the Mallorca Challenge covered 165,8km from Lloseta to Andratx. The race featured two climbs and two intermediate sprints, a race which favored the climbers in the peloton, but rain made the course difficult and risky.
The Team Tactics
BORA – hansgrohe focused on the final to make a successful move. With a great teamwork through the day, the German squad showed once again a great team spirit.
The Race
The race remained all together despite many breakaway attempts. After 89km of racing, a trio built a gap of more than two minutes over the peloton, where BORA – hansgrohe took the control over the pace. Earlier in the race, it was Felix Großschartner, who won the “special sprint”. 50km before the finish the race situation changed, one rider had a one-minute gap and headed into the final.
With 20km remaining, ten riders, one of them, BORA – hansgrohe rider Gregor Mühlberger, attacked and tried to close the gap. As the race came into the final lap, T. Skujins (Trek-Segafredo) raised the pace again and crossed the line ahead of BORA – hansgrohe rider Gregor Mühlberger.
From the Finish Line
“It was a good day for us, the guys showed a great teamwork. They help, wait and support each other. It was not an easy final, Patrick crashed but no injuries were recorded. Gregor and Lukas tried to go with the group and Gregor made it. I think the boys showed that they are in a really good shape yet.” – Jens Zemke, sports director
“I felt really good today and we worked very well together. It´s nice to finish a great teamwork with a good result like today.” – Gregor Mühlberger
Complete Results:
HD= Hors delais, or beyond time limit.
165.8 kilometers raced at an average speed of 38.375 km/hr
| 1 | SKUJINS, Toms | TREK-SEGAFREDO | 4hr 19min 14sec |
| 2 | MÜHLBERGER, Gregor | BORA-HANSGROHE | @ 25sec |
| 3 | REINDERS, Elmar | ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTERIJ | 31 |
| 4 | VALVERDE, Alejandro | MOVISTAR | 42 |
| 5 | LIGTHART, Pim | ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTERIJ | s.t. |
| 6 | PRADES, Eduard | EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY | s.t. |
| 7 | WELLENS, Tim | LOTTO-SOUDAL | s.t. |
| 8 | MOSCON, Gianni | SKY | s.t. |
| 9 | GARCIA, Vicente | SPAIN | s.t. |
| 10 | MOLLEMA, Bauke | TREK-SEGAFREDO | s.t. |
| 11 | PÖSTLBERGER, Lukas | BORA-HANSGROHE | s.t. |
| 12 | LUNKE, Sindre S | FORTUNEO-SAMSIC | 46 |
| 13 | LIETAER, Eliot | WB AQUA PROTECT VERANCLASSIC | s.t. |
| 14 | PEYSKENS, Dimitri | WB AQUA PROTECT VERANCLASSIC | s.t. |
| 15 | CAMPENAERTS, Victor | LOTTO-SOUDAL | 1:13 |
| 16 | GOLAS, Michal | SKY | s.t. |
| 17 | BRAMBILLA, Gianluca | TREK-SEGAFREDO | 1:16 |
| 18 | AZURMENDI, Ibai | TEAM EUSKADI | 1:18 |
| 19 | ELISSONDE, Kenny | SKY | 1:59 |
| 20 | EZQUERRA, Jesus | BURGOS-BH | 2:27 |
| 21 | BARBERO, Carlos | MOVISTAR | 2:44 |
| 22 | GOGL, Michael | TREK-SEGAFREDO | 3:51 |
| 23 | SPRENGERS, Thomas | SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOI | 3:54 |
| 24 | SERRANO, Gonzalo | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | s.t. |
| 25 | DIAZ GALLEGO, Jose M | ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | s.t. |
| 26 | NIV, Guy | ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | 3:59 |
| 27 | ARCAS, Jorge | MOVISTAR | 5:32 |
| 28 | ROSON, Jaime | MOVISTAR | s.t. |
| 29 | AMICI, Alberto | BIESSE CARRERA GAVARDO | s.t. |
| 30 | SAMITIER, Sergio | EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY | s.t. |
| 31 | BRAVO, Garikoitz | EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY | s.t. |
| 32 | GROSSSCHARTNER, Felix | BORA-HANSGROHE | s.t. |
| 33 | JARRIER, Benoit | FORTUNEO-SAMSIC | s.t. |
| 34 | CONCI, Nicola | TREK-SEGAFREDO | 6:37 |
| 35 | DELTOMBE, Kevin | SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOI | 9:48 |
| 36 | PARDILLA, Sergio | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | s.t. |
| 37 | GOLDSHTEIN, Omer | ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | s.t. |
| 38 | SHAW, James | LOTTO-SOUDAL | s.t. |
| 39 | BERNARD, Julien | TREK-SEGAFREDO | s.t. |
| 40 | MERINO, Igor | BURGOS-BH | s.t. |
| 41 | VAN HECKE, Preben | SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOI | s.t. |
| 42 | BIZKARRA, Mikel | EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY | 13:06 |
| 43 | GARCIA, Ricardo | TEAM EUSKADI | 15:21 |
| 44 | VERWILST, Aaron | SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOI | s.t. |
| 45 | STANNARD, Ian | SKY | 17:03 |
| 46 | BASSO, Leonardo | SKY | s.t. |
| 47 | GOIKOETXEA, Peio | TEAM EUSKADI | s.t. |
| 48 | VAN ROOY, Kenneth | SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOI | s.t. |
| 49 | SALVADOR, Enrico | BIESSE CARRERA GAVARDO | s.t. |
| 50 | VAN GOMPEL, Mathias | SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOI | s.t. |
| 51 | GRMAY, Tsgabu G | TREK-SEGAFREDO | s.t. |
| 52 | STASSEN, Julien | WB AQUA PROTECT VERANCLASSIC | s.t. |
| 53 | BONNAMOUR, Franck | FORTUNEO-SAMSIC | s.t. |
| 54 | SESSLER, Nicolas | BURGOS-BH | s.t. |
| 55 | ANDEMESKEL, Awet | ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | s.t. |
| 56 | VAN WINDEN, Dennis | ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | s.t. |
| 57 | ERVITI, Imanol | MOVISTAR | s.t. |
| 58 | CARRETERO, Hector | MOVISTAR | s.t. |
| 59 | TXOPERENA, Beñat | EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY | s.t. |
| 60 | DELCÓ, Lorenzo | BIESSE CARRERA GAVARDO | s.t. |
| 61 | LOPEZ-COZAR, Juan A | TEAM EUSKADI | s.t. |
| 62 | DINA, Márton | PANNON CYCLING TEAM | 23:15 HD |
Friday, January 26: Stage 2, Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana, 140.1 km
Tim Wellens takes the second stage.
The race: Here's the report from team Sky.
Gianni Moscon finished a close second to Tim Wellens (Lotto Soudal) on the second day of Challenge Mallorca as the Belgian rider won the Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana for a second consecutive year.
Wellens and Moscon broke free of an elite leading group that also contained winner Alejandro Valverde (Movistar), Gianluca Brambilla (Trek-Segafredo) and Gregor Mühlberger (Bora-Hansgrohe) within the last three kilometres.
The group had engaged in a cat-and-mouse battle across the Coll de sa Batalla and the Coll de Puig Major before Moscon and Wellens finally duelled out the race win in tricky conditions.
Sport Director Gabriel Rasch was encouraged by Moscon's performance so early in the season and believes there is more to come from the young Italian.
He told Teamsky.com: "I think maybe he went a little better than expected. He’s a class rider, but we know he’s working towards his top condition. He’s really competitive and he was happy to take the responsibility of leading today.
"He wasn’t happy with being second, but I think he can be happy with his performance.”
The difficult conditions were underlined by two crashes involving Kenny Elissonde and Michal Golas, but Rasch is confident the pair will be able to take the start line for the third race of Challenge Mallorca on Saturday. He added: "Kenny crashed in the first descent, he hit his knee a little bit but he will be ok to race tomorrow. He had to chase back a long way though.
"Golas crashed with 3km to go, nothing serious though, so all the riders will be available to race again tomorrow."
Complete results:
140.1 kilometers raced at an average speed of 37.217 km/hr
HD= Hors delais, or beyond time limit.
| 1 | WELLENS, Tim | LOTTO-SOUDAL | 3hr 45min 52sec |
| 2 | MOSCON, Gianni | SKY | s.t. |
| 3 | VALVERDE, Alejandro | MOVISTAR | @ 24sec |
| 4 | BRAMBILLA, Gianluca | TREK-SEGAFREDO | 27 |
| 5 | MÜHLBERGER, Gregor | BORA-HANSGROHE | 37 |
| 6 | KONRAD, Patrick | BORA-HANSGROHE | 5:06 |
| 7 | GOGL, Michael | TREK-SEGAFREDO | s.t. |
| 8 | MOLLEMA, Bauke | TREK-SEGAFREDO | s.t. |
| 9 | LIGTHART, Pim | ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTERIJ | s.t. |
| 10 | GROSSSCHARTNER, Felix | BORA-HANSGROHE | s.t. |
| 11 | GRMAY, Tsgabu G | TREK-SEGAFREDO | s.t. |
| 12 | REINDERS, Elmar | ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTERIJ | 5:47 |
| 13 | BONNAMOUR, Franck | FORTUNEO-SAMSIC | s.t. |
| 14 | SPRENGERS, Thomas | SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOI | s.t. |
| 15 | WARLOP, Jordi | SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOI | s.t. |
| 16 | TUREK, Daniel | ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | s.t. |
| 17 | SAEZ BENITO, Hector | EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY | s.t. |
| 18 | GOLAS, Michal | SKY | 6:37 |
| 19 | DEIGNAN, Philip | SKY | s.t. |
| 20 | MONFORT, Maxime | LOTTO-SOUDAL | s.t. |
| 21 | MARCZYNSKI, Tomasz | LOTTO-SOUDAL | 8:01 |
| 22 | BIZKARRA, Mikel | EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY | 9:21 |
| 23 | MOLINA, Antonio | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | 10:53 |
| 24 | ARANBURU, Alex | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | s.t. |
| 25 | RODRIGUEZ, Cristian | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | s.t. |
| 26 | PARDILLA, Sergio | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | s.t. |
| 27 | RUBIO, Jesus A | SPAIN | s.t. |
| 28 | AZURMENDI, Ibai | TEAM EUSKADI | s.t. |
| 29 | COLOMBO, Raul | BIESSE CARRERA GAVARDO | s.t. |
| 30 | LOPEZ-COZAR, Juan A | TEAM EUSKADI | s.t. |
| 31 | MARTIN, Gotzon | TEAM EUSKADI | s.t. |
| 32 | JUARISTI, Txomin | TEAM EUSKADI | s.t. |
| 33 | DELTOMBE, Kevin | SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOI | s.t. |
| 34 | SKUJINS, Toms | TREK-SEGAFREDO | s.t. |
| 35 | ROJAS, José | MOVISTAR | s.t. |
| 36 | CONCI, Nicola | TREK-SEGAFREDO | s.t. |
| 37 | MORTIER, Julien | WB AQUA PROTECT VERANCLASSIC | s.t. |
| 38 | LUNKE, Sindre S | FORTUNEO-SAMSIC | s.t. |
| 39 | PEYSKENS, Dimitri | WB AQUA PROTECT VERANCLASSIC | s.t. |
| 40 | AMICI, Alberto | BIESSE CARRERA GAVARDO | s.t. |
| 41 | AMADOR, Andrey | MOVISTAR | s.t. |
| 42 | DIAZ GALLEGO, Jose M | ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | s.t. |
| 43 | LIETAER, Eliot | WB AQUA PROTECT VERANCLASSIC | s.t. |
| 44 | ANDEMESKEL, Awet | ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | s.t. |
| 45 | ARCAS, Jorge | MOVISTAR | s.t. |
| 46 | SAMITIER, Sergio | EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY | s.t. |
| 47 | ERVITI, Imanol | MOVISTAR | s.t. |
| 48 | VAN BAARLE, Dylan | SKY | s.t. |
| 49 | BASSO, Leonardo | SKY | s.t. |
| 50 | NIV, Guy | ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | s.t. |
| 51 | BRAVO, Garikoitz | EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY | s.t. |
| 52 | SARAMOTINS, Aleksejs | BORA-HANSGROHE | s.t. |
| 53 | PLAZA, Ruben | ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | s.t. |
| 54 | STANNARD, Ian | SKY | s.t. |
| 55 | TORRES, Albert | SPAIN | s.t. |
| 56 | JARRIER, Benoit | FORTUNEO-SAMSIC | 19:27 HD |
| 57 | WARNIER, Antoine | WB AQUA PROTECT VERANCLASSIC | 19:27 HD |
| 58 | TXOPERENA, Beñat | EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY | 19:27 HD |
| 59 | VAN GOETHEM, Brian | ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTERIJ | 19:27 HD |
| 60 | DE BUYST, Jasper | LOTTO-SOUDAL | 19:48 HD |
| 61 | MERTZ, Remy | LOTTO-SOUDAL | 19:52 HD |
| 62 | ARMEE, Sander | LOTTO-SOUDAL | 19:52 HD |
| 63 | GESBERT, Elie | FORTUNEO-SAMSIC | 19:52 HD |
Thursday, January 25: Stage 1, Trofeo Campos-Porreres-Felanitz-Ses Salinas, 177.6 km:
John Degenkolb gets his 2018 racing season started in fine style.
The race: Here's the report from winner John Degenkolb's Trek-Segafredo team.
John Degenkolb opened his season with a victory, sprinting to the win in the first day of the Challenge Cyclista Mallorca from Campos to Ses Salines.
Trek-Segafredo surrounded Degenkolb with a team of Classics and lead-out specialists for the 178-kilometer race, giving the German sprinter the support he needed for a much-needed win with his last almost a year ago in the Dubai Tour.
"It's a great feeling to get the first victory already, to achieve this together with the team," Degenkolb explained to journalists shortly after the finish. "We had a really nice week of training already this week in Mallorca, in the training camp, and to start the season like this with a win is always great.
"I felt really good; the team did a perfect job to make a good sprint for me. I have good memories of this race because for me this was my first professional race in 2011. Today was a great revival."
It is the second victory for Trek-Segafredo this season, coming two days after Ryan Mullen’s win in stage three of Vuelta a San Juan in Argentina, giving the team an early boost as they start their first year without a headlining star like Fabian Cancellara or Alberto Contador.
"We have already won two races as a team, and I think for the whole team it's a big relief to start the season like this," continued Degenkolb. "Everyone knows we have done our homework, what's needed to win races, and I think we can be very optimistic for the next races."
There’s no secret that Degenkolb has had his share of misfortune in the last few years, from his horrific training accident in 2016 to respiratory issues at the end of 2017 severe enough to hospitalize him. His respiratory problems forced him out of the Vuelta a España, the Tour of Denmark, and caused him to forego the World Championships in Bergen, Norway, where he would have led the German team as one of the race favorites.
"It's a fantastic feeling! I have worked really hard this winter, and after all what has happened at the end of last year, this is such a big relief to get this winning feeling back and know that I am still able to win races because it's quite a long time since I crossed the finish line in first position," exclaimed a happy Degenkolb. "For me, it's just very amazing to feel that, and to also to feel the whole support from the riders: The whole team for the whole winter was behind me and pushed me to come to this level again."
Complete Results:
177.6 kilometers raced at an average speed of 44.003 km/hr
| 1 | DEGENKOLB, John | TREK-SEGAFREDO | 4hr 2min 18sec |
| 2 | ENGER, Sondre | ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | s.t. |
| 3 | DE BUYST, Jasper | LOTTO-SOUDAL | s.t. |
| 4 | DEHAES, Kenny | WB AQUA PROTECT VERANCLASSIC | s.t. |
| 5 | TORRES, Albert | SPAIN | s.t. |
| 6 | CAÑELLAS, Xavier | SPAIN | s.t. |
| 7 | BENNATI, Daniele | MOVISTAR | s.t. |
| 8 | BASKA, Erik | BORA-HANSGROHE | s.t. |
| 9 | BASSO, Leonardo | SKY | s.t. |
| 10 | GROSSER, Aaron | TEAM SAUERLAND NRW | s.t. |
| 11 | LOPEZ PARADA, Daniel | BURGOS-BH | s.t. |
| 12 | WARLOP, Jordi | SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOIS | s.t. |
| 13 | SANZ UNZUE, Enrique | EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY | s.t. |
| 14 | WELTEN, Bram | FORTUNEO-SAMSIC | s.t. |
| 15 | VAN ROOY, Kenneth | SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOIS | s.t. |
| 16 | REIJNEN, Kiel | TREK-SEGAFREDO | s.t. |
| 17 | ISTA, Kevyn | WB AQUA PROTECT VERANCLASSIC | s.t. |
| 18 | EZQUERRA, Jesus | BURGOS-BH | s.t. |
| 19 | SOTO MARTINEZ, Nelson | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | s.t. |
| 20 | WIPPERT, Wouter | ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTERIJ | s.t. |
| 21 | ROJAS, José | MOVISTAR | s.t. |
| 22 | FERNANDEZ, Egoitz | TEAM EUSKADI | s.t. |
| 23 | GOLDSHTEIN, Omer | ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | s.t. |
| 24 | STUYVEN, Jasper | TREK-SEGAFREDO | s.t. |
| 25 | STANNARD, Ian | SKY | s.t. |
| 26 | PÖSTLBERGER, Lukas | BORA-HANSGROHE | s.t. |
| 27 | DELTOMBE, Kevin | SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOIS | s.t. |
| 28 | VERMELTFOORT, Coen | ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTERIJ | s.t. |
| 29 | MÜNSTERMANN, Per Chris | TEAM SAUERLAND NRW | @ 6sec |
| 30 | ELISSONDE, Kenny | SKY | s.t. |
| 31 | COLOMBO, Raul | BIESSE CARRERA GAVARDO | s.t. |
| 32 | SAEZ BENITO, Hector | EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY | s.t. |
| 33 | FERRARI, Fabricio | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | s.t. |
| 34 | GONZALEZ, Adrian | BURGOS-BH | s.t. |
| 35 | REINDERS, Elmar | ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTERIJ | s.t. |
| 36 | NOPPE, Christophe | SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOIS | s.t. |
| 37 | TERUEL ROVIRA, Eloy | SPAIN | @ 8sec |
| 38 | SALAS ZORROZUA, Ibai | BURGOS-BH | s.t. |
| 39 | PLANCKAERT, Emiel | SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOIS | s.t. |
| 40 | VALVERDE, Alejandro | MOVISTAR | s.t. |
| 41 | PARDILLA, Sergio | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | s.t. |
| 42 | MARTIN SANZ, Gotzon | TEAM EUSKADI | s.t. |
| 43 | SALVADOR, Enrico | BIESSE CARRERA GAVARDO | s.t. |
| 44 | VAN BAARLE, Dylan | SKY | s.t. |
| 45 | GOLAS, Michal | SKY | s.t. |
| 46 | VAN GOMPEL, Mathias | SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOIS | s.t. |
| 47 | MOSCON, Gianni | SKY | s.t. |
| 48 | GARCIA, Ricardo | TEAM EUSKADI | s.t. |
| 49 | DANIEL, Maxime | FORTUNEO-SAMSIC | s.t. |
| 50 | SIMON CASULLERAS, Jordi | BURGOS-BH | s.t. |
| 51 | SVENDGAARD, Michael | FORTUNEO-SAMSIC | s.t. |
| 52 | BENEDETTI, Cesare | BORA-HANSGROHE | s.t. |
| 53 | TUREK, Daniel | ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | s.t. |
| 54 | HUN DINA, Dániel | PANNON CYCLING TEAM | s.t. |
| 55 | NIV, Guy | ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | s.t. |
| 56 | MORA, Sebastian | SPAIN | s.t. |
| 57 | LIETAER, Eliot | WB AQUA PROTECT VERANCLASSIC | s.t. |
| 58 | INTRA, Felix | TEAM SAUERLAND NRW | s.t. |
| 59 | LIGTHART, Pim | ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTERIJ | s.t. |
| 60 | MOLINA CANET, Antonio | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | s.t. |
| 61 | IRIZAR, Markel | TREK-SEGAFREDO | s.t. |
| 62 | ARCAS, Jorge | MOVISTAR | s.t. |
| 63 | PRADES, Eduard | EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY | s.t. |
| 64 | DINA, Márton | PANNON CYCLING TEAM | s.t. |
| 65 | ARANBURU DEBA, Alex | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | s.t. |
| 66 | LUNKE, Sindre S | FORTUNEO-SAMSIC | s.t. |
| 67 | MORTIER, Julien | WB AQUA PROTECT VERANCLASSIC | s.t. |
| 68 | ERVITI, Imanol | MOVISTAR | s.t. |
| 69 | LEDANOIS, Kevin | FORTUNEO-SAMSIC | s.t. |
| 70 | AMADOR, Andrey | MOVISTAR | s.t. |
| 71 | VAN POPPEL, Boy | TREK-SEGAFREDO | s.t. |
| 72 | FRISON, Frederik | LOTTO-SOUDAL | s.t. |
| 73 | AMORES PALACIO, Julio | SPAIN | 18 |
| 74 | SIMON, Péter | PANNON CYCLING TEAM | 20 |
| 75 | CARRETERO, Hector | MOVISTAR | s.t. |
| 76 | LEINAU, Louis | TEAM SAUERLAND NRW | s.t. |
| 77 | NAESEN, Lawrence | LOTTO-SOUDAL | s.t. |
| 78 | LOPEZ-COZAR, Juan | TEAM EUSKADI | s.t. |
| 79 | ZANARDINI, Andrea | BIESSE CARRERA GAVARDO | s.t. |
| 80 | HOFLAND, Moreno | LOTTO-SOUDAL | 29 |
| 81 | SCHWARZMANN, Michael | BORA-HANSGROHE | 32 |
| 82 | PEYSKENS, Dimitri | WB AQUA PROTECT VERANCLASSIC | 39 |
| 83 | FILUTÁS, Viktor | PANNON CYCLING TEAM | s.t. |
| 84 | DEIGNAN, Philip | SKY | s.t. |
| 85 | ROBEET, Ludovic | WB AQUA PROTECT VERANCLASSIC | 40 |
| 86 | JARRIER, Benoit | FORTUNEO-SAMSIC | 50 |
| 87 | TORRES MUIÑO, Pablo | BURGOS-BH | s.t. |
| 88 | PERICHON, Pierre Luc | FORTUNEO-SAMSIC | s.t. |
| 89 | WELLENS, Tim | LOTTO-SOUDAL | 53 |
| 90 | IRIBAR, Unai | SPAIN | 54 |
| 91 | VAN WINDEN, Dennis | ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | s.t. |
| 92 | VAN HECKE, Preben | SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOIS | s.t. |
| 93 | LOPEZ FUENTES, Diego | TEAM EUSKADI | s.t. |
| 94 | RODRIGUEZ, Sergio | EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY | 56 |
| 95 | UDONDO, Gotzon | EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY | s.t. |
| 96 | SAGAN, Juraj | BORA-HANSGROHE | 1:23 |
| 97 | STASSEN, Julien | WB AQUA PROTECT VERANCLASSIC | 1:30 |
| 98 | CAMPENAERTS, Victor | LOTTO-SOUDAL | 1:55 |
| 99 | SHAW, James | LOTTO-SOUDAL | s.t. |
| 100 | BRÄNDLE, Matthias | TREK-SEGAFREDO | 2:21 |
| 101 | LEMUS DAVILA, Luis | ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | 2:38 |
| 102 | DELCÓ, Lorenzo | BIESSE CARRERA GAVARDO | s.t. |
| 103 | VAN SCHIP, Jan Willem | ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTERIJ | 3:16 |
| 104 | GOIKOETXEA, Peio | TEAM EUSKADI | s.t. |
| 105 | GONZALEZ, Aitor | EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY | s.t. |
| 106 | ROBREDO, Alvaro | BURGOS-BH | s.t. |
| 107 | KNOLLE, Jon | TEAM SAUERLAND NRW | s.t. |
| 108 | INSAUSTI, Jon Ander | TEAM EUSKADI | s.t. |
| 109 | ZUAZUBISKAR, Illart | SPAIN | s.t. |
| 110 | SZABO, Miklos | PANNON CYCLING TEAM | s.t. |
| 111 | ASSELMAN, Jesper | ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTERIJ | s.t. |
| 112 | REIS, Rafael | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | s.t. |
| 113 | SARAMOTINS, Aleksejs | BORA-HANSGROHE | s.t. |
| 114 | KONIG, Leopold | BORA-HANSGROHE | s.t. |
| 115 | VAN DER LIJKE, Nick | ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTERIJ | 4:57 |
| 116 | HAPPKE, Luca Felix | TEAM SAUERLAND NRW | s.t. |
| 117 | SERRANO, Gonzalo | CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | 5:17 |
| 118 | OROSZ, Gergo | PANNON CYCLING TEAM | s.t. |
| 119 | HOLLÓ, Botond | PANNON CYCLING TEAM | 6:03 |
| 120 | AMICI, Alberto | BIESSE CARRERA GAVARDO | 6:07 |
| 121 | LOGICA, Enrico | BIESSE CARRERA GAVARDO | 8:05 |
| 122 | GOZZI, Nicolo | BIESSE CARRERA GAVARDO | s.t. |
Start list with back numbers, January 24, 2018:
| MOVISTAR | |
| 1 | VALVERDE Alejandro |
| 2 | AMADOR Andrey |
| 3 | ROJAS Jose Joaquin |
| 4 | ARCAS Jorge |
| 6 | BENNATI Daniele |
| 7 | CARRETERO Hector |
| 8 | ERVITI Imanol |
| SKY | |
| 16 | BASSO Leonardo |
| 17 | DEIGNAN Philip |
| 18 | ELISSONDE Kenny |
| 19 | GOLAS Michal |
| 20 | MOSCON Gianni |
| 21 | STANNARD Ian |
| 22 | VAN BAARLE Dylan |
| TREK-SEGAFREDO | |
| 29 | VAN POPPEL Boy |
| 31 | BRANDLE Matthias |
| 35 | IRIZAR Markel |
| 36 | RAST Grégory |
| 37 | REIJNEN Kiel |
| 39 | STUYVEN Jasper |
| 40 | DEGENKOLB John |
| BORA-HANSGROHE | |
| 41 | BENEDETTI Cesare |
| 42 | SAGAN Juraj |
| 43 | KÖNIG Leopold |
| 44 | BASKA Erik |
| 49 | POSTLBERGER Lukas |
| 50 | SARAMOTINS Aleksejs |
| 51 | SCHWARZMANN Michael |
| LOTTO-SOUDAL | |
| 54 | WELLENS Tim |
| 56 | CAMPENAERTS Victor |
| 57 | DE BUYST Jasper |
| 58 | FRISON Frederik |
| 59 | HOFLAND Moreno |
| 62 | NAESEN Lawrence |
| 63 | SHAW James Callum |
| ISRAEL CYCLING ACADEMY | |
| 66 | PLAZA Ruben |
| 69 | ENGER Sondre |
| 70 | GOLDSTEIN Omer |
| 71 | LEMUS Luis Enrique |
| 72 | NIV Guy |
| 75 | TUREK Daniel |
| 76 | VAN WINDEN Dennis |
| CAJA RURAL-SEGUROS RGA | |
| 78 | PARDILLA Sergio |
| 79 | FERRARI Fabricio |
| 80 | SOTO Nelson Andres |
| 81 | REIS Rafael Ferreira |
| 82 | MOLINA Antonio |
| 83 | ARANBURU Alex |
| 85 | SERRANO Gonzalo |
| FORTUNEO-SAMSIC | |
| 91 | LEDANOIS Kevin |
| 93 | DANIEL Maxime |
| 94 | LUNKE Sindre Skjøstad |
| 96 | PERICHON Pierre-Luc |
| 97 | SVENDGAARD Michael Carbel |
| 98 | WELTEN Bram |
| 99 | JARRIER Benoit |
| BURGOS-BH | |
| 101 | SIMON CASULLERAS Jordi |
| 102 | EZQUERRA Jesús |
| 106 | GONZÁLEZ Adrián |
| 107 | TORRES Pablo |
| 109 | SALAS Ibai |
| 110 | LÓPEZ Daniel |
| 111 | ROBREDO Alvaro |
| SPORT VLAANDEREN-BALOISE | |
| 115 | DELTOMBE Kevin |
| 116 | NOPPE Christophe |
| 117 | PLANCKAERT Emiel |
| 119 | VAN GOMPEL Matthias |
| 120 | VAN HECKE Preben |
| 121 | VAN ROOY Kenneth |
| 123 | WARLOP Jordi |
| EUSKADI BASQUE COUNTRY | |
| 126 | SANZ UNZUE Enrique |
| 127 | GONZÁLEZ Aitor |
| 128 | BARRENETXEA Ander |
| 129 | UDONDO Gotzon |
| 134 | PRADES Eduard |
| 135 | RODRIGUEZ Sergio |
| 136 | SÁEZ Hector |
| ROOMPOT-NEDERLANDSE LOTERIJ | |
| 141 | ASSELMAN Jesper |
| 142 | LIGTHART Pim |
| 143 | WIPPERT Wouter |
| 144 | VAN SCHIP Jan Willem |
| 145 | REINDERS Elmar |
| 146 | VAN DER LIJKE Nick |
| 148 | VERMELTFOORT Coen |
| WB AQUA PROTECT VERANCLASSIC | |
| 151 | DEHAES Kenny |
| 152 | ISTA Kevin |
| 153 | PEYSKENS Dimitri |
| 154 | STASSEN Julien |
| 155 | MORTIER Julien |
| 156 | LIETAER Eliot |
| 157 | ROBEET Ludovic |
| BIESSE CARRERA GAVARDO | |
| 161 | AMICI Alberto |
| 162 | COLOMBO Raul |
| 163 | DELCO Lorenzo |
| 164 | GOZZI Nicolo |
| 165 | LOGICA Enrico |
| 167 | SALVADOR Enrico |
| 168 | ZANARDINI Andrea |
| TEAM EUSKADI | |
| 174 | FERNÁNDEZ Egoitz |
| 175 | GARCIA Ricardo |
| 176 | GOIKOETXEA Peio |
| 177 | INSAUSTI Jon Ander |
| 179 | LOPEZ FUENTES Diego |
| 180 | LÓPEZ-COZAR Juan |
| 181 | MARTIN SANZ Gotzon |
| TEAM SAUERLAND NRW | |
| 183 | LEINAU Louis |
| 184 | LEINAU Joann |
| 185 | GROSSER Aaron |
| 186 | INTRA Felix |
| 188 | HAPPKE Luca Felix |
| 189 | MÜNSTERMANN Per |
| 190 | KNOLLE Jon |
| PANNON CYCLING TEAM | |
| 192 | DINA Daniel |
| 193 | FILUTAS Viktor |
| 195 | DINA Marton |
| 196 | HOLLO Botond |
| 197 | SIMON Peter |
| 200 | SZABO Miklos |
| 201 | OROSZ Gergely |
| SPAIN | |
| 203 | TORRES Albert |
| 204 | MORA Sebastian |
| 205 | CAÑELLAS Xavier |
| 207 | ZUAZUBISKAR Illart |
| 209 | AMORES Julio Alberto |
| 210 | TERUEL Eloy |
| 212 | IRIBAR Unai |