Jakob Omrzel Leads Young Line Up for Tour of the Alps
# Youthful Ambition: Jakob Omrzel Heads Bahrain Victorious at Tour of the Alps
Jakob Omrzel, the promising 20-year-old Slovenian cyclist, is set to lead the young Bahrain Victorious team in the upcoming Tour of the Alps, running from April 20 to 24. This five-stage race, known for its challenging mountain routes, traverses the picturesque regions of Tyrol, South Tyrol, and Trentino, and promises to be a rigorous test for the team.
Joining Omrzel in this youthful lineup are Roman Ermakov, Max van der Meulen, Oliver Stockwell, Kasper Borremans, and Bálint Feldhoffer. Notably, Borremans and Feldhoffer are stepping up from the development team, while the squad is rounded out by Rainer Kepplinger, the oldest member of the group.
The race kicks off with a demanding 144.3km stage that starts and finishes in Innsbruck and includes two significant climbs: one measuring 6.2km at an average gradient of 3.7% and the other at 4km with a steeper gradient of 7%. The second stage stretches 147.5km from Telfs to Martell, introducing longer climbs, notably Pillerhöhe with its 9.2km ascent at 6% and the gradual incline towards Passo Resia measuring 15.8km at 3.4%.
Stage three, a 175.1km journey from Latsch to Arco along Lake Garda, features the highest ascent of the race at Passo Castrin (22.2km at 5.7%) and a further climb to Andalo (14.4km at 5.4%). The penultimate stage is expected to be the “queen stage,” covering a significant 167.8km from Arco to Trento with 3,600 metres of elevation gain, including the challenging Passo Bordala (14.8km at 6.9%) and another first-category climb of 12.9km at 6.8%. Finally, the concluding 128.6km stage from Trento to Bolzano includes late climbs of 4.4km at 6.6% and 9.2km at 6.2%, leading to a rapid descent toward the finish.
Sports Director Franco Pellizotti expressed confidence in his young team, stating: “We have a young team at this race, and Jakob is our leader. All the riders will have 100% commitment to help Jakob… Our goal is to be in the top 8 in the general classification, but I believe he can even be closer to the top 5.” He acknowledged the mixed experience of the team with riders like Roman, Rainer, and Oliver coming from the Tour of Basque, and the readiness of Borremans and Feldhoffer as fresh entrants.
Reflecting on his anticipation for the race, team leader Jakob Omrzel remarked: “I’m very excited to be at the start of the Tour of the Alps… I’ve managed to put in some quality hours on the bike, and I’m starting to feel like myself again. A race like this gives me a lot of motivation, and at the same time, I feel really happy and grateful to compete in races like this with our team.”
As the Tour of the Alps draws near, all eyes will be on the up-and-coming Omrzel and his squad, eager to see how they tackle the demanding challenges that lie ahead in this mountainous spectacle.
