Attack proved the best form of defence for Miguel Angel Lopez (Astana) as he sealed final overall victory at the Tour de Suisse after pre-empting any attacks on his yellow jersey by soloing clear on the snow-banked slopes of the Flüela Pass and cresting the summit alone.
Although Lopez was pegged back by a determined chasing group on the descent into Davos, he had effectively ended the race as a contest by that point, and he was content to roll across the finish line in fourth place in the same time as stage winner and fellow Colombian Jarlinson Pantano (IAM Cycling).
Lopez carried a lead of just 8 seconds into Sunday’s final leg, which was shortened from 117 kilometres to a mere 57 due to the plummeting temperatures atop the Albula Pass, but he was utterly untroubled by the shorter yet more intense effort the day ultimately required.
ADVERTISEMENT
After Astana teammate Michele Scarponi set the tempo in the dwindling yellow jersey group on the lower slopes of the Flüela Pass, the day’s lone climb, Lopez himself took matters in hand when Pantano, Rui Costa (Lampre-Merida) and Simon Spilak (Katusha) forged clear a little under five kilometres from the summit.
None of the three were an immediate threat to Lopez, but the 22-year-old seemed less concerned about shutting them down as he was about putting time into the second-placed Talansky, Jon Izaguirre (Movistar) and Warren Barguil (Giant-Alpecin), who all began the day within 18 seconds of his overall lead.
On bridging across in the company of Tejay van Garderen (BMC), Lopez promptly took up the reins at the head of the leading group. Van Garderen and Pantano were able to follow at first, but two kilometres from the summit, the youngster lifted himself from the saddle and danced clear.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest Race Results http://ift.tt/1rwmAlq
No comments:
Post a Comment