Tao Geoghegan Hart takes first professional win on Tour of the Alps 2019 stage one
The Brit sprinted to victory from a reduced bunch of climbers that made it to the finish


Tao Geoghegan Hart (Team Sky) took his first professional victory on stage one of the 2019 Tour of the Alps, sprinting to the line first from a reduced bunch of climbers. The 24-year-old also takes the overall lead, with his team leader Chris Froome sitting in sixth place at 10 seconds due to time bonuses on the line.
Geoghegan Hart was part of a leading bunch that had been severely reduced over the first stage in the Alps, and was able to get ahead first on the flat but twisty route into the finish line.
>>> Tour of the Alps 2019 route: what to expect from the brutal April race
After launching his move with a few hundred metres to go, the Briton was narrowly able to hold off Alex Aranburu (Caja Rural) and Roland Thalmann (Vorarlberg Santic) as they rapidly gained on him in the sprint for the finish.
Geoghegan Hart was able to hold on to take victory however, finishing in front of a group that also contained Froome, Rafał Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Vincenzo Nibali (Bahrain-Merida) who will all have their eyes on the overall title.
How it happened
The opening stage of the week of testing climbing in the Tour of the Alps 2019 ran over 144km starting and finishing in Kufstein, with a number of testing climbs. A flat run to the line would feature at the end of the stage after the descent from the final climb.
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
The race's first breakaway group was able to escape early on, with the four of Maximilian Kuen (Vorarlberg), Patrick Gamper (Tirol-KTM), Matthias Krizek (Felbermayr) and Emil Dima (Giotti Victoria - Palomar) gaining a maximum gap of around 5-40 on the peloton.
Astana and Team Sky were the two teams putting in the most energy on the front of the chasing bunch, gradually eating in to the advantage of the escapees. With 30km to go the gap was down below two minutes and the pace was accelerating in the peloton now led by Astana.
It took until just under 16km to go for the final remnants of the break to finally be caught, but that catch led to the first attacks out of the overall favourites.
Vincenzo Nibali launched a stinging attack on the race's final ascent, with Team Sky pair Geoghegan Hart and Pavel Sivakov as well as Rafał Majka (Bora-Hansgrohe) following him.
They were initially able to gain around 18 seconds on the bunch, but that quickly began to drop to around eight seconds as Astana led the pursuit, unwilling to let Nibali gain an early advantage in the race.
With 4km remaining, Pello Bilbao (Astana) made a move from the peloton and was pursued by Froome. That attack brought everything back together again, with riders now speeding down the descent towards the finish in Kufstein.
The attacking and the numerous climbs had really reduced numbers in the bunch, and bar a late surge by Majka off the front, it was clear this would come down to a sprint between the climbers that had made it this far.
Geoghegan Hart was the one able to spot the opportunity and made an early move within the final 500m, narrowly holding off Alex Aranburu to take his first professional victory.
Results
Tour of the Alps 2019, stage one: Kufstein to Kufstein (144k)
1 Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Team Sky, in 3-30-48
2 Alex Aranburu (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
3 Roland Thalmann (Sui) Team Vorarlberg Santic
4 Pello Bilbao (Esp) Astana Pro Team
5 Nikita Stalnov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
6 Chris Froome (GBr) Team Sky
7 Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus) Gazprom–Rusvelo
8 Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe
9 Giovanni Carboni (Ita) Bardiani CSF
10 Dayer Quintana (Col) Neri Sottoli–Selle Italia–KTM, all at same time
General classification after stage one
1 Tao Geoghegan Hart (GBr) Team Sky, in 3-30-48
2 Alex Aranburu (Esp) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, at four seconds
3 Roland Thalmann (Sui) Team Vorarlberg Santic, at six seconds
4 Pello Bilbao (Esp) Astana Pro Team, at 10 seconds
5 Nikita Stalnov (Kaz) Astana Pro Team
6 Chris Froome (GBr) Team Sky
7 Aleksandr Vlasov (Rus) Gazprom–Rusvelo
8 Rafal Majka (Pol) Bora-Hansgrohe
9 Giovanni Carboni (Ita) Bardiani CSF
10 Dayer Quintana (Col) Neri Sottoli–Selle Italia–KTM, all at same time
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Follow on Twitter: @richwindy
Richard is digital editor of Cycling Weekly. Joining the team in 2013, Richard became editor of the website in 2014 and coordinates site content and strategy, leading the news team in coverage of the world's biggest races and working with the tech editor to deliver comprehensive buying guides, reviews, and the latest product news.
An occasional racer, Richard spends most of his time preparing for long-distance touring rides these days, or getting out to the Surrey Hills on the weekend on his Specialized Tarmac SL6 (with an obligatory pub stop of course).
-
Gear up for your best summer of riding – Balfe's Bikes has up to 54% off Bontrager shoes, helmets, lights and much more
Supported It's not just Bontrager, Balfe's has a huge selection of discounted kit from the best cycling brands including Trek, Specialized, Giant and Castelli all with big reductions
By Paul Brett
-
7-Eleven returns to the peloton for one day only at Liège-Bastogne-Liège
Uno-X Mobility to rebrand as 7-Eleven for Sunday's Monument to pay tribute to iconic American team from the 1980s
By Tom Thewlis
-
'It can really push me along' - How a velodrome comeback is making Caleb Ewan faster on the road
Australian says he'll "definitely" continue track work after rekindling passion
By Tom Davidson
-
Could Caleb Ewan be Ineos Grenadiers' first Tour de France sprinter since Mark Cavendish? 'That's my goal'
"All I can do is try to win as much as possible and prove that I deserve to be there," says Australian
By Tom Davidson
-
'An unprecedented opportunity for brands to be part of the evolution' - Ineos Grenadiers sponsor hunt steps up with sales agency partnership
Sportfive have been employed to find "non-endemic global partners for the team"
By Adam Becket
-
'We've all got a little bit extra in us this year' - Ineos Grenadiers recapture 'fighting spirit' with aggressive Paris-Nice display
British team continue to put tumultuous 2024 behind them with momentum and a new found mentality
By Tom Thewlis
-
Could a TotalEnergies deal be the end of Ineos Grenadiers as we know them?
Reports suggested this week that Ineos could be close to signing a deal with the French petrochemical firm
By Tom Thewlis
-
'They’re racing with their hearts again' - Robbie McEwen on Ineos Grenadiers' bright start to 2025
The British squad have already won four times in 2025
By Tom Thewlis
-
Ineos Grenadiers are entertaining so far this year, but how long will it last?
The British WorldTour squad have won four times already in 2025, but more than that, they have been fun. Is this the new dawn?
By Adam Becket
-
Caleb Ewan says he was put in a 'bad situation' by Jayco AlUla before he joined Ineos Grenadiers
Ewan joined Ineos Grenadiers in January after spending just one year with Jayco AlUla
By Tom Thewlis