Wallays grabs opening stage win at World Ports Classic
The two-day race ends Saturday with a ride from Rotterdam to Antwerp
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Jelle Wallays (Topsport Vlaanderen-Baloise) won the opening stage of the World Ports Classic on Friday.
The 165-kilometer route from Antwerp, Belgium to Rotterdam, Netherlands was mostly flat, with four cobblestone sections sprinkled in. Wallays finished 26 seconds ahead of a group of 68 riders, with Andre Greipel (Lotto-Belisol) taking second and Alessandro Petacchi (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) placing third.
The trio occupies the first three spots in the GC, with Wallays 28 seconds ahead of Greipel and 29 seconds ahead of Petacchi.
The two-day race ends Saturday with a 191km stage from Rotterdam back to Antwerp, a flat route that features a cobblestone section and a climb that summits just under 30km from the finish.