ProTeam Liam Slock wins the combativity award after the breakaway of the day in Tour de Wallonie

At first, it seemed like the breakaway of the day had gone with four riders. But Liam Slock managed to jump across just in time, setting off on a breakaway of over 130 kilometers. “It took quite a while before we could get away,” Slock says. “Just before the Côte de Saint Jean-Sart, the first climb of the day, the four took off and I just managed to catch them. Initially, we were riding calmly. The peloton gave us little room, and we thought it might come to nothing. But after 20 kilometers, we had more than two minutes, and we started going hard.”

Slock was ultimately the last of the group remaining, but he was caught by the peloton three kilometers from the finish. “That might seem short, but three kilometers is far to hold off a chasing peloton alone. I had 20 seconds left, so I knew I would never make it. If we had been able to hold on as a group of five for longer, it might have worked, but after a while, there were some gaps in the rotation, and then you know the end is near.”

Liam Slock was nevertheless rewarded for his hard work. He got to step onto the podium in Herve, today’s finish location, to receive the prize for the most combative rider.

Tomorrow is the final day of the Tour de Wallonie. The riders will go from Moeskroen to Thuin, facing the Oude Kwaremont and the Kluisberg along the way.

Picture: PhotoNews