Stefan Denifl «Good memories at Circuit de la Sarthe»

Nacer Bouhanni (FDJ) won the first stage of the Circuit Cycliste Sarthe-Pays de Loire after out-sprinting the competition.

Having arrived with a strong team with a focus on the overall, IAM Cycling remained safe and attentive in the bunch.  Kjell Carlström, directeur sportif alongside Rubens Bertogliati, confirmed the game plan.

“At this early stage in the race, our goal was to reach the finish without losing a second.  We have fulfilled our mission, though we remember that last year we won this sprint with Pelucchi.  Despite a large hematoma in his thigh after a crash at the Route Adélie, Reto Hollenstein was able to stay with the pack.  It will be necessary to remain attentive in tomorrow’s morning half-stage before we tackle the time trial in the afternoon.”

In the 2013 edition, Stefan Denifl rode well enough on the queen stage to finish 2^nd.  The Austrian spoke with pleasure of his memories.

“I am happy to return here.  I have very good memories of la Sarthe, and we are here again to leave an IAM Cycling footprint.  The time trial will decide the tactics that we will adopt for the queen stage.  In any case, we have come with multiple options for success with Mathias Frank, Thomas Löfkvist and myself.”  

photos – Etienne Garnier @ VeloFotoPro