Cycling: In a tough race, Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott) secured the stage win and the overall lead at Paris-Nice. The Australian left the competition behind in the 16-kilometre final climb after an elimination run. The Austrians also presented themselves strongly.
Thomas De Gendt secures the mountain classification
Today, on the penultimate day of the Paris-Nice long-distance trip, the peloton was led over 175 kilometers from Nice to Valdeblore La Colmiane. The drivers had to cope with some adversities. At times, the stage had to be completed in the rain. If we went up, there was not a little snow to be seen along the way. Despite the nasty weather and tricky profile, eight breakaways saw their chance in the breakaway, including Thomas de Gendt (Lotto-Soudal). The Belgian secured one mountain classification after another to secure the mountain jersey after the stage. In the final ascent - which was 16,3 kilometers long and had an average gradient of 6,2 percent - the last fugitives were caught. But not only that, because the speed work of Bahrain-Merida and Astana ensured a decent selection. One of the first victims was Esteban Chaves (Mitchelton-Scott).
Simon Yates takes the overall lead
With 6 kilometers to go, the Mitchelton-Scott team took command. Roman Kreuziger pulled himself in front of his captain Simon Yates and pushed the pace. Only a few seconds later, the still relatively large group began to fall apart completely. Leader Luis Leon Sanchez (Astana) also had to be torn down. Almost all drivers already seemed to be at the limit. At the back you could see drivers fighting bitterly to catch up. Then came the attack from Simon Yates (Mitchelton-Scott), who immediately jumped onto the rear wheel of Ion Izagirre (Bahrain-Merida). Together they broke away from the rest of the group, which was now falling apart. One well-known rider after another couldn't keep up, including Julian Alaphilippe (Quick-Step Floors). Around 1,5 kilometers from the finish, Simon Yates launched the next attack to get rid of his last companion - he succeeded!
Patrick Konrad & Felix Großschartner strong again
Dylan Teuns (BMC) passed Ion Izagirre in second place. His brother Gorka Izagirre finished fourth. But the big winner of the day is Simon Yates. With his success, the Australian also takes the lead in the overall standings. There he is now in front of Ion and Gorka Izagirre. The two Austrians from the German team Bora-hansgrohe also presented themselves very well today. Patrick Konrad finished #6, Felix Grossschartner ranked #13.
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