Corbin Strong Takes the Yellow Jersey with a Sprint Victory at the Škoda Tour de Luxembourg
Corbin Strong of Israel – Premier Tech emerged victorious in the first stage of the Škoda Tour de Luxembourg 2023, securing the prestigious yellow jersey as the overall leader. In a thrilling sprint finish, Strong outpaced Søren Kragh Andersen (Alpecin-Deceuninck) and Alex Aranburu (Team Movistar) after a challenging 156.4km race from Neumünster Abbey to Luxembourg-Kirchberg.
The early stages of the race saw a breakaway by Mats Wenzel (Leopard TOGT Pro Cycling), Oliver Knudsen (Leopard TOGT Pro Cycling), Lennert Teugels (Bingoal WB), and Vito Braet (Team Flanders-Baloise). These four riders built up a substantial lead of nearly four minutes. However, with 15km remaining, the escapees were caught just before the Côte de Stafelter.
The final ascent and the last three kilometers of climbing did not play a decisive role in determining the winner. Instead, it came down to a sprint among a group of 42 riders. Strong’s impressive performance propelled him to victory and saw him claim the yellow jersey.
Unfortunately, the first stage also witnessed the abandonment of three top riders: Jakob Fuglsang (Israel – Premier Tech), Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ), and David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ).
In response to his win, Strong expressed his joy, saying, “It’s a great feeling. My team worked really well for me. I’ve been in good form all year, but I’ve never managed to win. So I’m particularly happy. It’s very cool to start the race this way. I’m looking forward to the next few days in Luxembourg.”
