Our team was again prominent at the last Grand Tour of the season, which entered in its second week.
Rémi Cavagna confirmed there’s a reason why he’s nicknamed the “TGV of Clermont-Ferrand”, single-handedly animating the opening part of stage 7 thanks to his splendid time trial skills that allowed the Frenchman to stay at the front for 30 kilometers. It was on the undulating terrain leading to Puerto de Orduña – the climb first used at the race in 1956 – that the peloton was back as one, opening the door to a new breakaway, this time numbering 36 men, to go clear.
The third rider in as many years to win the Tour of Slovakia, Jannik Steimle was there for UCI World Team Classification leader Deceuninck – Quick-Step, and remained with the group until the second ascent of the Orduña, where the breakaway’s advantage crumbled after a forcing of the peloton and a lack of cooperation between the escapees, who began thinking of the victory.
Five men took off and fought for the win in Villanueva de Valdegovia, Michael Woods (EF Pro Cycling) emerging victorious, followed some 50-odd seconds later by a reduced bunch featuring both Andrea Bagioli and Mattia Cattaneo. The latter continues to be Deceuninck – Quick-Step’s highest placed rider in the overall standings ahead of Wednesday’s stage to Alto de Moncalvillo.
Photo credit: ©David Ramos / Getty Images
