#SkodaTour Juan Ayuso remporte le contre-la-montre de la 4e étape du Tour de Luxembourg. L'Espagnol d'UAE Team Emirates a devancé Antonio Tiberi et Mads Pedersen. Mathieu van der Poel reprend sa tunique de leader pour 3 secondes.
Demanding Mathieu "I'm not going for the GC" Van der Poel faces tough competition from Ayuso and Vansevenant
CyclingSaturday, 21 September 2024 at 13:23
Mathieu van der Poel and Juan Ayuso were the major winners of stage four in the Tour of Luxembourg. The Spaniard riding for UAE Team Emirates lived up to his favorite status in an individual time trial, propelling him to second place in the overall standings. Van der Poel had to disappoint Ayuso, as the Dutch Alpecin-Deceuninck star holds a three-second lead heading into the final day, thanks to an outstanding time trial.
Tackling a challenging 15.5-kilometer course, Van der Poel only conceded nineteen seconds to former specialist Ayuso. "A time trial is always tough, and today it was really hard going up to the top of the climb. I managed to keep my pace, but I lacked some freshness afterward to ride the pace I wanted all the way to the finish line."
"I knew the first part suited me well because aerodynamics were less important there," Van der Poel continued his analysis in the flash interview. "From there, it was very fast, so the aero guys had an advantage over me. However, I can be quite satisfied with my time trial, the result, and how I felt on the bike. I'm glad that I’m recovering well."
Now that he enters the final day with the yellow jersey on his shoulders, Van der Poel can't help but aim for the overall victory. He had put the general classification aside in the past few days, but now he smiles when asked about it. "I can fight for the GC now, although that was never the main goal. We'll see how the race unfolds on Sunday. I'm missing three teammates due to illness, but the Tour of Luxembourg is already a success for me."
Read more below the video!
Ayuso happy with stage win but misses the leader's jersey
Due to Van der Poel's excellent performance, Ayuso missed out on a double victory. The Spaniard seemed on track to take the overall lead for much of the race, but now heads into the final race day with a three-second deficit to the Dutchman. Mauri Vansevenant – who started the time trial as the GC leader – also needs to make up the same amount of time on Van der Poel. "We're not in the lead, so we’ll have to try something," said a determined Ayuso. "We'll do our best to win the race."
The time trial win was still a huge boost for the climber, who had to drop out of the Tour de France with COVID-19 and missed the Vuelta a España. "It was full throttle from the start. When I saw the course this morning, I thought it was beautiful. I had good legs, so I knew I had a chance to win. Aerodynamics were important, but you also need strong legs on the climb to make the difference. Today I had both, which is why I won here."
Vansevenant, as expected, lost a lot of time, but the Belgian Soudal-Quick Step rider still has every chance to grab the overall victory on Sunday. He is only three seconds behind Van der Poel, which he believes is achievable. "The time trial is not my specialty, that’s no secret. That didn’t stop me from going full throttle. I knew my chances of keeping the yellow jersey were slim, but I fought hard and am still on the podium. The gaps are small, so I’ll fight for it until the end on Sunday."
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Latest Comments
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024
- This is not a gravel race. UCI fail, from the surface they are on to team tactics. In what country was the first "gravel race" in what country is the most popular gravel race? Go with the race model that created the discipline.
Barnes127411-10-2024 - And don't forget he has now won 4 of the big 10 races (Grand tours, Monuments and WC/OG) in one year with a chance to make that 5. (5 has only been done once before)Joostmehrtens05-10-2024