First mountains after the TTT
Louhans-Châteaureanaud, 6th June, 3rd stage – “In the flat parts we went nearly 60km/h – says Luka Pibernik – a bit less on the slightly undulating route, with also a few challenging corners. After the crash of the other day, I’m happy to have fully recovered and now I’m waiting for the climbs “.
At the end of a fast time trial, Team Sky won with an average speed above 57km/h average. The English squad preceded the American BMC with 38” gap and the Belgian Lotto Soudal of 53”. The Polish Michal Kwiatkowski moved back into race lead.
Near 2 minutes the TBM’s gap from the winners. “We are not very happy – comments SD Gorazd Štangelj – because we have lost more than we expected. We lack a little of experience and we will have to improve the mechanisms that regulate a team time trial like for example the changes in the line between a rider and another”.
“I’m not a cronoman – explains Yukiya Arashiro – and I rarely did a time trial where we went as fast as possible from start to finish, so I feel satisfied with my race. It was a difficult test for me but, despite we have having lost some time, I think we did our best”.
Tomorrow, the first real climbs of this 2018’s edition. The fourth stage arrives at Lans-En-Vercors at the end of a short ascent of 4.8km with a 7.5% average slope, but first the peloton will have to overcome the ascent of hors catégorie of the Col de Toutes Aures: 17.5Km at 6.9%.
(All pictures attached can be used for editorial and non-commercial use) – © Team Bahrain-Merida / @BettiniPhoto)