Attacking Team Visma | Lease a Bike colours final stage Skoda Tour de Luxembourg
The Skoda Tour de Luxembourg headed to the capital for the 177-kilometre hilly final stage. Bart Lemmen, who crashed in yesterday’s time trial, was no longer at the start. The 28-year-old Dutchman did not want to take any extra risks ahead of next Sunday’s world championships.
In the opening phase of the stage, GC leader Mathieu van der Poel accelerated. He was joined by sixteen riders, including Staune-Mittet and Tijmen Graat. The peloton immediately hunted down the strong leading group. Just before merging with the peloton, three riders managed to stay in front: Staune-Mittet, Archie Ryan and Lorenzo Milesi. Twelve kilometres from the finish line, the trio was reeled in by the peloton, where a few riders still had a chance for the final victory.
In the meanwhile depleted peloton, Kelderman showed his excellent form. The 33-year-old Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider reacted sharply several times to accelerations of the classification favourites. He also tried a few times himself. After a rain of attacks, four riders, including later stage winner Gaudu, managed to break away from the group of favourites. The four battled for the stage win. Kelderman eventually finished 11th in both the stage and the general classification.
“We wanted to race agressively and so we did”
DS Maarten Wynants
“We wanted to race agressively and so we did”, sports director Maarten Wynants reflected. “Johannes and Tijmen were in the breakaway after the start. They did very well, as some of the biggest names in the peloton were in that breakaway. Johannes ended up staying in front for a long time with Ryan and Milesi, but unfortunately it didn’t prove to be enough to stay out of reach.”
“Wilco rode a clever final”, Wynants added. “He accelerated several times himself. When the decisive attack was placed, he just couldn’t follow. That’s sour, but we went down fighting. I’m proud of how the guys showed themselves again here.”
Skoda Tour de Luxembourg
Stage 5
Result
Rankings
Result
1
David Gaudu
Groupama – FDJ
04:06:03
2
Quinn Simmons
Lidl – Trek
+00:00:03
3
Jordan Jegat
TotalEnergies
+00:00:03
11
Wilco Kelderman
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
+00:00:31
32
Johannes Staune-Mittet
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
+00:00:58
34
Tijmen Graat
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
+00:00:58
53
Tosh Van der Sande
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
+00:05:17
–
Christophe Laporte
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
DNF
–
Bart Lemmen
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
DNF
Rankings
1
Antonio Tiberi
Bahrain – Victorious
16:47:34
2
Mathieu van der Poel
Alpecin – Deceuninck
+00:00:15
3
David Gaudu
Groupama – FDJ
+00:00:16
11
Wilco Kelderman
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
+00:01:17
22
Johannes Staune-Mittet
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
+00:02:41
23
Tijmen Graat
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
+00:02:58
69
Tosh Van der Sande
Team Visma | Lease a Bike
+00:33:49
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Subjects
Cycling – World Tour men
Maarten Wynants
1
Skoda Tour de Luxembourg
