Talossan Cycling Association Tour Season 5 Leg 1: Nessebar -> Roma

[Glüc]

Post for introduction and teams (TBD)

[Glüc]

Stage 1 Nessebar (Bulgaria) -> Burgas

The Talossan Cycling Association Tour 2026 started with a short flat stage, creating the right circumstances for a bunch sprint. Unfortunately there was a big crash near the end, involving several TCAT riders. Hopefully they are all ok. The stage was won by Magnier, followed by Lund Andresen (REX/ITW). Milan (GHS/CHX) came in fourth place and Ackermann (MMM) in seventh. The royal team takes the first lead of the season as a result in a low scoring stage.

Standings after stage 1:

Pos	±		Team	Pts Ove	Pts Today
1st	(=)		Els Talossaes Rexhital (REX)	232	+232
2nd	(=)		Team In The Wind (ITW)	218	+218
3rd	(=)		Cyclohexane (CHX)	197	+197
4th	(=)		Gordon Hiatus Support Team (GHS)	191	+191
5th	(=)		Maritiimi-Maxhestic Mençeis (MMM)	108	+108
6th	(=)		Cézembre Caçeirs dals Mailintzarăs (BDC)	45	+45
7th	(=)		Cézembre Fieschā (CFA)	28	+28
8th	(=)		Velociposse Florencia (VFL)	12	+12

Tomorrow will be more of an intermediate stage. Most likely not challenging enough for GC contenders to make a big difference, but too much for a big bunch sprint. More likely the winner will be more of a punchy type rider.

[King Txec]

My team taking the first lead is just as it should be!

-Txec R

[Breneir Tzaracomprada]

I expect @Crement Itravilatx to rub it in that his team has such early success.

[Sir Lüc]

Stage 2 Burgas (Bulgaria) -> Veliko Tarnovo

Glüc's prediction was mostly correct, but GC riders did make a valiant attempt at trying to win seconds on their peers - Vingegaard (CHX/ITW/BDC/MMM/GHS/CFA), Pellizzari (CFA/CHX/MMM/VFL) and Van Eetvelt (non-TCAT) were rebuffed by the charging chase within the last kilometer, with the stagewin ultimately going to non-TCAT Silva, and Giulio Ciccone (BDC/CHX/ITW) in third leading the TCAT riders. Scaroni (MMM/REX) placed fourth, Pellizzari fifth and Christen (BDC) eighth.

It is BDC who comes away with the daily win, but disaster struck soon after as Andrea Vendrame, one of the riders involved in a 30-rider megacrash midway through, completed the stage but will not be able to start tomorrow. Also unable to start due to the crash is Adam Yates, which sadly means Fieschă and REX are already a GC rider down. The first TCAT rider to abandon, though, was MMM's Matteo Moschetti, which did not start stage 2 as a result of the injuries sustained in the finish line crash of stage 1.

Standings after stage 2:

Pos	±		Team	Pts Ove	Pts Today
1st	(+2)		Cyclohexane (CHX)	555	+358
2nd	(=)		Team In The Wind (ITW)	527	+309
3rd	(-2)		Els Talossaes Rexhital (REX)	522	+290
4th	(+2)		Cézembre Caçeirs dals Mailintzarăs (BDC)	463	+418
5th	(=)		Maritiimi-Maxhestic Mençeis (MMM)	446	+338
6th	(-2)		Gordon Hiatus Support Team (GHS)	346	+155
7th	(+1)		Velociposse Florencia (VFL)	281	+269
8th	(-1)		Cézembre Fieschā (CFA)	209	+181