Briton Simon Yates won the first stage of the Tour of Asturias in Pola de Lena alone on Friday, taking the leader’s jersey by 14 seconds. The only big name in the peloton present in this three-day race, the winner of the Vuelta 2018 broke away on the last climb of this hilly stage. “Now that I have won a stage, I will focus on the general“, he announced on the eve of the queen stage offering the ascent of the Acebo 7.7 km at 8.4%. Behind Yates, who is preparing the Tour of Italy, which will start next Friday in Budapest, the Italian Vincenzo Albanese has settled the sprint of the beaten in front of Alexis Vuillermoz.
Classification of the 1st stage run on Friday over 169 km between Oviedo and Pola Lena:
1. Simon Yates (GBR/Bike Exchange)
2. Vincenzo Albanese (ITA / EOK) at 14
3. Alexis Vuillermoz (FRA/TEN) 14.