Bahrain Victorious’ Mohorič Denied Second Consecutive Stage Win in Poland, but Holds on to Yellow
Bahrain Victorious had another impressive showing at the Tour de Pologne, but this time their GC leader, Matej Mohorič, was narrowly beaten by Polish veteran Rafal Majka. The stage, which was the shortest of the race, featured a challenging uphill finish in Duszniki-Zdrój.
Despite a small breakaway group, Bahrain Victorious, led by Andrea Pasqualon, Fran Miholjević, and Damiano Caruso, managed to reel them in and bring the race back together for the final sprint. Mohorič positioned himself well in the front group but was ultimately unsuccessful in his bid for the stage win.
Mohorič had identified the stage as one that suited his characteristics and expressed his disappointment in not taking the victory: “I’m a bit disappointed with myself because I hesitated to go first into that last corner. It’s a split second decision and I left a small gap to try to squeeze through if it opened up.”
The finishing sprint featured two sharp turns, and Mohorič attempted to pass on the left side but was blocked by Majka. Then, as he tried to go around on the right side, Majka closed the door again, leaving Mohorič without enough space to make a move: “I didn’t have enough left to throw the bike on the finish line.”
Despite the second-place finish, Mohorič still holds the yellow jersey, leading Majka and João Almeida by ten seconds in the general classification. He also leads the points competition. The team will continue to protect his lead in the upcoming stages.
The next stage offers another opportunity for victory, and Bahrain Victorious will take it day by day in their pursuit of success.
