Our rider signed off another top 3 finish for the team.
Tour Poitou-Charentes scheduled two half stages Saturday, an undulating one in the morning followed by a medium-length individual time trial just a couple of hours later. Running from Chasseneuil-du-Poitou to Jaunay-Marigny over 97.9 kilometers, the first leg of the day packed several small hills and some narrow and twisty roads, and the three riders who formed the breakaway used that into their advantage to hold off the peloton.
Despite setting a fierce pace, the group missed out on catching Sander Armee (Lotto-Soudal), the sole survivor of the move, for just a couple of seconds. Second on the first day, Alvaro Hodeg sprinted and took third place, racking up his seventh podium since the start of the season. The 23-year-old Colombian jumped a couple of positions in the general classification, where he continued to remain Deceuninck – Quick-Step’s highest-ranked rider even after the 22.5km individual time trial.
The French race will end Sunday, with a 164.6km-long stage between Thénezay and Poitiers that will present the attackers with several opportunities not just to fight for victory, but also to make inroads in the overall standings.
Photo credit: ©Luc Claessen / Getty Images
