Tobias Foss sprints to first win in INEOS Grenadiers colours on stage 1 of 2024 Tour of the Alps

On a day with plenty of climbing, Tobias Foss sprinted to victory and into the leaders jersey on the opening stage of the Tour of the Alps from a reduced bunch.

A group of seven riders, including Mattia Bais and Simon Pellaud went clear on the first climb of the day and formed a breakaway. As the race neared the foot of the final climb of the day however, just Bais and his Polti-Kometa teammate, Andrea Garosio remained out front, around 50 seconds clear of a peloton that was definitely winding things up.

With just over 20km to go, the lead duo were finally swallowed up by the peloton. As the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team were setting a strong pace on the front of the peloton, the bunch was splitting up drastically behind as it neared the summit of the final climb and the subsequent descent towards the finish line.

Despite all the Decathlon team's hard work, it was Romain Bardet who was looking to benefit and attacked the descent opening up a few gaps in his wheel. As they reached the flat, just six riders held the front of the race. Alongside Bardet, Geraint Thomas, Chris Harper, Antonio Tiberi, Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier and Esteban Chaves. With just over 9km to go, another five joined them at the front, Ben O'Connor, Tobias Foss, Wout Poels, Valentin Paret-Peintre and Juan Pedro Lopez.

The cooperation wasn't brilliant though with some riders refusing to pull. With another chase group just 14 seconds down as they entered the final 5km, the lack of committal by some in the lead group was seemingly proving costly.

Into the final kilometre, the attacking riding had stretched the gap to 22 seconds and actually caused a small split in the lead group. In the sprint for the line, Chris Harper opened things up but Tobias Foss powered around for his first win in INEOS Grenadiers colours. Chaves taking third.

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