Stefan De Bod Climbs to Second Place in General Classification after Strong Performance in Stage 2 of Tour de Slovaquie
In Stage 2 of the Tour de Slovaquie, South African cyclist Stefan De Bod of the Astana Qazaqstan Team achieved an impressive fourth-place finish, propelling him to second place in the General Classification standings.
“Well, I think it was a good day for me. It turned out to be a hard aggressive final, which suited me quite well. The team was great today, but I would like to specially mention Igor Chzhan, who was always next to me in the crucial moments of the race. In the final I felt very good and, maybe, I was a bit too confident in myself, thinking that I could attack with 450 meters to go on the cobbles to take both the stage and the yellow jersey. Yeah, it was a mistake and perhaps I had to attack a bit later. But ok, I gave my all on the last climb until the very last meter. Well, we still have two stages to go, and I am looking forward to do my best for the highest possible result in the General Classification”, said Stefan De Bod.
De Bod expressed gratitude for the support of his team and highlighted the efforts of his teammate Igor Chzhan during crucial moments of the race. Although De Bod had hoped to secure both the stage win and the yellow jersey by attacking early, he acknowledged that he may have been too confident in his abilities. Nevertheless, De Bod pushed himself to the limit on the final climb and remains optimistic about his chances in the General Classification as the Tour de Slovaquie continues with two more stages.
Meanwhile, Italian rider Simone Velasco put in a solid performance at the UCI Pro Series one-day race Coppa Sabatini, finishing in seventh place. Despite feeling fatigued after a long journey from Canada and adjusting to the jet lag, Velasco expressed satisfaction with his result and his ability to stay with the leading group of riders in the challenging race.
“Well, I can’t say I felt really fresh after a long transfer from Canada to Europe and a jet-lag, but I would say I am quite satisfied with my result today. Well, I’d like to be up there in the leading group to fight for the race win, but after the last climb we could not catch back five riders in front. The race started immediately with a high pace and attacks, so we had a tough day on the road, but with support of the team I managed to follow the best riders in the final part of the distance and to give my all for a good result. Now, I am really looking forward to the next race on Saturday – Memorial Marco Pantani”, said Simone Velasco.
Velasco acknowledged the challenging nature of the race, which began at a high pace with multiple attacks. Despite the tough conditions, with the support of his team, Velasco was able to stay with the strongest riders and give his all for a respectable result. He now eagerly awaits the next race, the Memorial Marco Pantani, taking place on Saturday.
Both De Bod and Velasco continue to demonstrate their talent and determination on the road, and their performances in recent races are a testament to their abilities as professional cyclists.
