Bermudian cyclist Kaden Hopkins has made a blistering start to the Denis Manette Memorial in Guadeloupe, powering to victory in the opening 1km time trial prologue. Representing his US LAMENTIN team, Hopkins clocked a winning time of 1 minute 46.14 seconds in Le Moule, setting himself up perfectly for the stages to come in the four-day elite event.
The Denis Manette Memorial attracts a strong field, encompassing Elite, Open 1-2-3, and Access 1 categories, and Hopkins immediately stamped his authority on the race against some tough competition.
Hopkins' blistering effort saw him finish a mere 0.20 of a second ahead of Raphaël Lautone, who clocked a commendable 1:46.34. Benjamin Le Ny rounded out the top three in the prologue, finishing in 1:47.24.
The short, sharp prologue will have significant implications for the general classification as the race unfolds. Hopkins' early advantage, albeit slender, provides him with a valuable buffer heading into the longer road stages.
The Denis Manette Memorial now moves onto its first full stage on Friday, a 112km road race that will start and finish in Petit-Canal. With Hopkins demonstrating his raw speed in the prologue, all eyes will be on whether he can maintain his lead and contend for overall victory as the race progresses through the challenging Guadeloupean terrain.
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