Italian Enrico Battaglin finished 11th in the first stage of the Tour de l’Ain today in France. The Team LottoNL-Jumbo rider got boxed in in the chaotic bunch sprint, won by Matteo Trentin (Etixx - Quick Step).

“We don’t have a real sprinter with us, but Enrico Battaglin gets the chance to perform in the bunch sprints,” Sports Director Nico Verhoeven said. “The finish was completely flat today. The final metres were fast and chaotic. You need a bit of luck in sprints like that and today, there wasn’t really much more possible than this 11th place.

“This stage was Robert Gesink’s first race after his crash in the Tour de Suisse,” Verhoeven continued. “He came through the day without any problems. It was the easiest stage of the week, though. Tomorrow, the stage is longer. The riders have to cross two three-kilometre climbs with an average seven per cent gradient. The bunch will get smaller in that part of the race. I’m expecting a sprint with a group of 40 to 50 riders. That’s a better situation for Enrico than it was today.”