The Mexican was named most combative rider of the day on the third stage of the prestigious U23 race.
Said Cisneros came agonizingly close to fighting for the victory Saturday afternoon at the Tour de l’Avenir, where the peloton overhauled him just 500 meters from the line in Saint-Vallier after a spirited ride that completely changed the dynamic of the last 25 kilometers.
Despite the parcours having a couple of short hills, it was still considered sprinters’ territory, and the fast men made sure of sending their teams to the front of the bunch in order to control the change and nullify the made attacks that came throughout the day. Inside the final hour of racing, it looked like things finally calmed down, but Said had other ideas and ignited a spectacular move, to which only one rider could respond.
Together with Magnus Carstensen (EF Education-Aevolo), last year’s Junior Mexican Champion expanded their buffer to almost 30 seconds, a gap that threatened to derail the fast men’s plans. That was the exact moment several teams hit the front of the chasing group and found an extra gear that allowed them to reduce the margin of the leading duo before catching them on the finishing straight.
It was a disappointing outcome for Said after he left everything out there, but his valiant effort didn’t go unnoticed, and after the stage, the 19-year-old made a visit to the podium to receive the prize for the most combative rider of the day.
“Today was a long stage, and I was motivated to try something and fight for the win. I attacked from the distance, had a guy join me, and together we rode all out. Despite my best efforts, the peloton came back. After the finish, I was sad, but my teammates comforted me and I’m ready to try again in one of the next stages”, Said explained after the finish.
Photo credit: ©Luc Claesens / Getty Images
©Tour de l'Avenir
