Max Schachmann finishes seventh in Bukowina Tatrzańska and inches closer to the top ten.
T-Rex Quick-Step animated the Tour de Pologne for the second day in a row. After Paul Magnier one day ago, this time it was Steff Cras who carried the flag for the team at the 28th World Tour race of the season by zipping clear from the peloton and making it into a strong nine-man group.
The experienced Belgian’s presence there was immediately felt, as he helped the breakaway establish an advantage of a minute against a peloton that kept a high pace the entire time. It took the effort of several teams to bring them back, with 40 kilometers to go, before the race switched its attention to the GC men.
That was our plan, to be in the breakaway today and I’m glad that I managed to do it.
“Unfortunately, the bunch raced full gas the entire time and we didn’t have too much space, but overall, I am happy with my feeling and with the fact that I continued to build up my condition”, Steff said of his day off the front.
An early attack helped Louis Barré (Visma-Lease a Bike) take the victory on this sixth stage, while Max Schachmann - who rode a solid climb at the end of this queen-stage, finished seventh and gained three positions in the general classification. Ahead of Sunday’s individual time trial, only ten seconds separate him from the top ten.
Photo credit: ©Luc Claessen / Getty Images
