Lennert Van Eetvelt pulled off a double victory in the Tour of Guangxi: in the fifth stage, the Belgian rider from Lotto Dstny was the strongest on the tough final climb, taking both the stage win and the leader's jersey. Meanwhile, Koen Bouwman (Visma | Lease a Bike) spent the entire day attacking in his last race for the team.
The victory came quite unexpectedly, Van Eetvelt shared on his team's website. "I didn't feel great at the start of the day. But when the team decides to ride for you, you don't complain—you just give it everything. When Tim Wellens attacked, I thought today wouldn't be my day. But the last kilometer was so tough, and I know that in sections like that, I just need to keep my own pace. So I kept pushing." That persistence eventually earned him the win, as he outsprinted Oscar Onley (dsm-firmenich PostNL).
Bouwman was part of the early breakaway. "It wasn’t really the plan to be in the break today," he said on the Visma | Lease a Bike website. "The general classification and sprinter teams have kept things tight all week. I had a bad crash not too long ago, so I’m happy to be here." The Dutch rider started the final climb with a small lead but was quickly caught.
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Bouwman wants to savor his last moments with Visma | LaB
The climber, who is moving to Jayco AlUla, wanted to give his current team something special in his final race. "I felt a little better today compared to the previous days. I thought, 'I’ve got two race days left for the team, it would be great to attack and make my mark.' And I did. The four of us went full gas from the start, but it wasn’t enough. I personally had a good day. Tomorrow, I’ll enjoy the final day and give it my all. After that, I’ll head home and enjoy my vacation."
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