William Junior Lecerf put in another strong effort.
The heavy snow that blocked the roads forced the Tour de Suisse organisers to shorten the parcours of stage six, taking out both the Furka and Nufenen climbs. The new improvised route was just 43 kilometers in length and had only one climb, the 6km-long Blatten-Belalp, which witnessed another showdown between the general classification contenders.
The victory on what will go down as one of the shortest road stages in the race’s history went to Joao Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) after an attack in the final kilometer, while Soudal Quick-Step’s neo-pro William Junior Lecerf – runner-up at the AlUla Tour earlier this season – was for the second day in a row the team’s best placed rider.
The Tour de Suisse continues on Saturday with the penultimate stage, starting and finishing in Villars-sur-Ollon, and William has a fair chance of cracking the top 20, only one minute separating him from gaining three positions in the overall standings.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images