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Ouistreham Riva-Bella lies where the River Orne flows into the English Channel. A coastal town in Normandy, flat, open, with no significant shelter from the wind. Anyone starting here basically knows in advance what to expect: wind blowing in from the sea, and a peloton battling for position right from the very first kilometre. On Wednesday, rain was added to the mix. It was the most turbulent start imaginable to this year’s Tour de l’Avenir – and exactly the sort of day on which a stage race can be turned on its head. 01 A chaotic first hour That’s exactly how it turned out. “The first hour was pretty hectic; it rained heavily,” says Pello Olaberria, the Sports Director on site. “It was absolutely chaotic and there were lots of crashes. Fortunately, we managed to avoid all of them.” The main aim was actually just to get through it safely and not lose any time. Lorenzo Finn also describes the start as a balancing act: “It was a very nerve-wracking day with the wind, the rain and the narrow roads. The first stage of a stage race is always nerve-wracking. But today it was particularly difficult. So the main aim was actually just to get through it safely and not lose any time.” 02 Kilometre 80: The plan pays off ‘Actually’ was the key word here, because what started as a defensive strategy turned into an attack as the race progressed. On a stretch of road around 20 kilometres long, dead straight and with strong crosswinds – roughly at the 80-kilometre mark – the Rookies picked up the pace. “The plan was to make the race tough on that section,” explains Olaberria. “We wanted to cause some damage there – and the plan worked.” Finn was at the front at the decisive moment. “When the crosswind section came, I was at the front. And then you just ride. On a day like that, the best defence is often the attack,” he says. It paid off: in the end, 16 riders remained at the front – including three Rookies: Finn, Davide Donati and Michiel Mouris. 03 No victory, but a solid performance In the end, it wasn’t quite enough for the stage win – even though Finn, by stepping up the pace again 30 kilometres from the finish, whittled the leading group down to just three riders. In the sprint from that leading group, Niels Driesen (Belgium, Lotto – Groupe Wanty) took the win in a time of 3:19:43, ahead of Kasper Haugland (Norway, Decathlon CMA CGM Development Team). Finn finished third on the same time. Impressive: Finn’s team-mate Davide Donati also achieved a top result, finishing fifth (+36 seconds). “I didn’t win, but I’m satisfied,” explains Finn. “I’ve gained quite a bit of time on my rivals in the general classification.” The fact that the stage demanded everything except climbing ability doesn’t bother the self-proclaimed climbing specialist: “In a stage race, you simply have to be able to do everything,” he smiles. 04 A start that counts Olaberria is also pleased with the start: “We weren’t able to secure a stage win. But the key thing is that we now have a clear lead over some of the favourites for the general classification. A positive first stage – I’m really very satisfied.” If someone had told me before the start that the day would end like this – I’d have signed up for it straight away. Grand Tours are rarely won on the first day, but they’re often lost. In that respect, Wednesday in Normandy was a day on which the Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe Rookies managed to do two things at once: stay out of the danger zone and create the danger themselves. Finn sums it up in his post-stage interview: “If someone had told me before the start that the day would end like this – I’d have signed up for it straight away.” Part of this story