The 2014 cycling season got under way with the opening stage of the Tour De San Luis in Argentina.
British Champion Mark Cavendish, Astana's Vincenzo Nibali, Michele Scarponi, Tyler Phinney, Joaquim Rodriquez along with Brit Adam Yates who now rides for Orica Green Edge, were amongst the riders who started on the 164km stage from San Luis to Villa Mercedes.
After 55 kilometres, there were five leaders in Leo Messineo, Phillip Gaimon, Emilano Contreras, Marc De Maar and Julian Gaday, who had taken a lead of 3.45.
After Mark Cavendish's Omega Pharma Quick Step team mate Allesandro Pettachi had abandoned due to stomach problems and sickness, Julian Gaday of the Buenos Aires team, took the Meta Sprint.
In really warm conditions, Phillip Gaimon took to the front to take the points on the mountain as the five escapers extended their lead to 7.35.
With no team willing to do any work, the five escapers were soon able to get a staggering 10.40 ahead by the 90km mark.
Colombian rider Daniel Jaramillo abandoned and Joaquim Rodriquez almost hit a police motor bike trying to connect with main group after being dropped but he made it back into the peloton which had reduced the five escapers gap to seven minutes and thirty seconds with fifty kilometres to go.
The bug that saw Petacchi abandon seemed to have spread as four riders in Quintana, Nerz, Phinney, Purito were reporting stomach problems.
They could do nothing as Alvarado (Chile); Da Rosa (Club Dataro) and Christian Meier (Orica), charged after the escapers, breaking out of a group of thirty riders and getting within 3.53 of the leading five, which was down to four after Julian Gaday dropped back after he was pipped for the second sprint by Emilano Contreras.
With 25kms to go, the four were 3:55 ahead of the three chasers and 9:15 back to the chasing group.
Leo Messineo, Phillip Gaimon, Emilano Contreras, Marc De Maar were still out in front with eight to go but then Messineo and De Maar hit a car as they approached Villa Mercedes, leaving Gaimon and Contreras to battle on with the other two chasing.
Phillip Gaimon of Garmin Sharp kept going and he took the win in 4.-06.54 ahead of Contreras of the Argentina team and De Maar of United Healthcare and Leandro Messineo (SLST), followed by Da Rosa, Alvarado, Meier, Modolo, DeHaes and Belletti.
Mark Cavendish finished 18th with Adam Yates in 90th.
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