After an early-season of close results but no major victories, Lucas Hamilton broke through to take his first European win of 2017 at the Tour Alsace as he prepares for his major aim of the Tour de l'Avenir.
Aiming to join the WorldTour ranks in 2018, the Australian on the Mitchelton-Scott team fell sick at last year's Tour de l'Avenir but recovered to finish second on the last stage and seal the mountain's competition. In his second season at Under 23 level, Hamilton continued his progression, with second place finishes at the Baby Giro and U23 edition of Liege-Bastogne-Liege evidence of his ability.
"I didn't really have any expectation coming into the season," a modest Hamilton explained to Cyclingnews. "Obviously to wanted to perform. If you have asked me at the beginning of the season if I was happy with the position I am in now, I would be very happy. I have exceeded my expectations a little bit as it's been a really good season and I am happy with it."
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Thanks to his results, including four second places in Italian one-day races, Hamilton feels there is "lot less pressure heading into the Tour de l'Avenir this year."
Hamilton's overall victory at the Tour Alsace victory was built upon his second place finish on stage 1 and his performance on stage 4. Stage 1 of the race took the peloton up the La Planche des Belles Filles finish just weeks after the Tour de France, where Fabio Aru claimed the stage win. Hamilton explained that he knew the finish from watching the race on television during July and used the knowledge to his advantage.
"We'd spoken about that climb being the same as what Aru had won on in the Tour and we knew the last two, three hundred meters was super steep and really hard," he said of the stage won by Markus Hoelgaard.
Every second counts at the Giro Baby
Rivals at the Tour de l'Avenir
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