Time for the last stage of this year’s Avenir, and Conci in pole position to win it. Again some hard climbing today, so it’s definitely not unthinkable for him to lose a minute or even more though. Time to find out who wins this prestigious Tour.
So far, we have four riders in the breakaway, with the most notorious name being Fung, third in the KoM and sixteenth in the GC at 5’50”. Stork, Verschaeve and Fouche are the other riders here, while Champoussin (2nd KoM) is trying to join them as well.
The riders quickly tackle the Col du Menté (1st category). With 5 km to climb the race situation has changed a bit and is as follows: the five leaders are Valter, Rikunov, Van Poucke, Fouche and Fung. Just behind them are Lopez, Stork, Primozic, Zimmermann and Revard, and at a minute we see Verschaeve just ahead of the peloton.
The final 1.5 uphill km seemed like a sprint of dying swans. Revard takes the maximum of the KoM-points ahead of Valter, Zimmermann and Rikunov.
Hirschi launched a counterattack on the mountain, and 4’30” after the race lead the peloton crosses the top. Carlsberg and Lierse setting the pace.
The leaders took it easy in the descent, allowing all dropped riders and even Hirschi to come back. Another group of 5, including McNulty and Sowinski also launched a counterattack now, as the leaders start their 5km ascent of the Col des Ares (3rd category).
Only minor points at the top, Hirschi takes them ahead of Primozic and Van Poucke. The group of McNulty and Sowinski have joined forces with the first eleven riders, with the other new names being Hoehn, Sleen and Dima. The peloton, now led by Polar and Festina, crosses the top 3’ later, as there are 85 km to go.
There was no interest in the intermediate sprint, but things are about to get interesting with 51.5 km to go! The sixteen leaders start their ascent of the Port de Balès, 19.2 km long at 6.2%! The peloton of 120 riders now 2’30” behind them.
9.5 km to climb as some riders have been dropped in the leading group, those are Sleen, Sowinski, McNulty and Lopez. The peloton has been reduced to 55 riders due to the work of Stannard, they are still only 2’20” behind the race lead.
5 km to climb on the Port du Balès, as the leading group has been reduced to 8 riders! Hirschi, Stork, Rikunov, Valter, Zimmermann, Hoehn, Revard and Fung are 2’30” ahead of a peloton of only 33 riders, where KoM-jersey and seventh in the GC Kiriakidis is now setting the pace! Festina still believing in yellow for Van Niekerk? Misbah (22nd) best placed rider missing in the peloton of 33.
Hoehn and Hirschi had to let the others go as well. 2 km to climb for the leaders, the peloton now at 2’50”, still 32 others following Kiriakidis.
Fung wins the HC KoM-sprint ahead of the two Ritter Sport Development riders. The McCormick rider now leads the KoM-ranking as well. Rikunov, Valter and Revard have a small gap to make up for in the descent.
Cabrera leads a peloton of 26 over the top 3’30” later. Misbah (22nd) still the best placed rider missing. 30 km to go and we know the winner of this year’s Avenir!
17 km to go! Two more uphill sectors, the first is the Peyresourde climb! No KoM-points at the top of this mountain though, 10 km long at 7.4%! The group of favourites start the climb 3’15” later.
Not a big surprise to see Kiriakidis dropped, after his earlier efforts.
6 km to the top of the Peyresourde and 13 km to the finish as Ritter Sport play their first card, attack by Zimmermann!
4 km to the top for the German, as Revard is working for leader Fung, and they are 35” behind! Only Rikunov able to follow the McCormick riders!
5 km to climb for the group of favourites, as Van Niekerk attacks! Is he strong enough to gain 2’30” on yellow jersey Conci?!
Conci says thank you, as Almeida is chasing the South African! 11 km to go for the group of favourites, as they are 30” behind Van Niekerk and 2’30” behind the race lead! At the head of the race, we see Rikunov is unable to follow the McCormick riders, who on their turn are losing more time and are 45” behind Zimmermann!
Zimmermann now 2 km away from the top of the Peyresourde, but winning will be very hard! The McCormick duo at 40”, then at an additional 30 we see Van Niekerk already!
Final km of the penultimate climb as Fung left his teammate behind and is now 20” behind leader Zimmermann! Van Niekerk also coming closer, at an additional 20”! The group of favourites now almost a minute behind the South African!
The three came together just before the top, where they have a 40” lead over the group of favourites! Not so good news for Swisslion though, as Pogacar gets dropped just before that top and could lose his top-5 now!
Higuita gets a 5” gap over the other favourites in the descent, but that’s worthless. The three leaders start the final climb with a lead of 35” over the other favourites! The Peyragudes is 4km long with an average gradient of 6%. Yellow jersey Conci still comfortably at the head of the group of favourites, surely this can’t go wrong anymore?!
Van Niekerk leads the race with 3 km to go, will a 30” gap be enough? Almeida coming forth with Bernal now, yellow jersey Conci is alert and follows the Colombian. Pogacar already more than two minutes behind, tough day for the supertalent!
The leaders get caught with 2.5 km to go! Bernal and Conci at the front, good positioning by Sivakov and Higuita as well!
Positions more or less the same with 1.5 km to the finish line! Number 4 and previous yellow jersey Storer breaking down now!
Conci trying to humiliate Bernal here, riding next to him under the flamme rouge, as if nothing special is happening. Gaps are getting bigger though, less riders able to follow the duo! Just behind them we see Van Niekerk, Foss, Sivakov and Mäder, who is trying to defend his second place!
Nobody able to follow the leading duo though, as they head into the final 500 meters with a 20” lead! Interesting sprint-a-deux here, who’s gonna win it?!
Conci creates a gap with 200 meters left!
and he beats the Colombian! That’s what I call finishing with a bang! Impressive week for the Italian, who deserves the yellow jersey!
Van Niekerk completes the stage podium ahead of Foss and Sivakov, while Mäder finishes sixth and drops a place in the GC.
The Top-10 then gets completed by Higuita ahead of Giannoutsos, Inkelaar and Eenkhoorn. Everyone comes in solo or with a small group, ending the Tour de l’Avenir. Pogacar and Kiriakidis are the losers of the day, dropping to 13th and 20th respectively. The Slovenian will try to get his revenge next year.
