German Nico Denz (DSM) was fastest among the five survivors of the day’s breakaway and won a short sprint on stage six of the Tour de Suissebetween Locarno and Moosalp, 180 km, the first major mountain event that ended with the Danish Jakob Fuglsang (Israel Premier Tech) as heir to the yellow jersey of the Russian Vlasov, down due to covid-19.
Denz (Waldshut Tiengen, 28 years old) debuted his record in a World Tour event with a hard-fought, exciting, and above all tight victory, since the arrival photo was necessary to verify that he had prevailed, with a time of 5 hours. 11.14, ahead of the Frenchman Clement Champoussin (Ag2r Citrôen) and the Spanish José Herrada (Cofidis).
The group of favorites entered at 2.15 minutes without anyone standing out among the others. Ineos tensed on the last climb, Geraint Thomas intended to attack the yellow jersey, well towed by Daniel Felipe Martínez, but Jakob Fuglsang was careful to keep a yellow jersey that fell on him before leaving due to the abandonment of Vlasov, caught by the damn virus.
Colombian Sergio Higuita finished ninth on the day, 2′ 14″ behind Denz, third overall and is youth leader.
So this Saturday’s day could be decisive because the general is in a tie. Fuglsang takes a second out of Thomas and 10 to Colombian Higuita. And if the mountain doesn’t decide anything, Sunday’s time trial will remain.
covid wave
The peloton was seriously mutilated by the cataract of COVID-19 cases that forced the Jumbo to withdraw, first on Thursday, and on the same Friday morning to the UAE, Alpecin and Bahrain in its entirety, and to several runners, among others the leader, Bora Hansgrohe’s Russian Alexander Vlasov. 29 runners did not start, a total of 94 runners of the 162 who started the round last Sunday.
There were doubts about the sixth stage dispute, but the race director, after holding a dialogue with the ACP, the riders’ union, the UCI and the teams, decided that the party should continue. And the stage came out.
There was interesting mountain. Immediately a break was formed ready to face the first of the two ports of the program, nothing less than the Nufenen, the highest road pass in Switzerland, of special category, of more than 20 km at 7.8 percent, and the rooftop at 2,478 meters of altitude, where oxygen reaches the lungs with difficulty. The expedition endured the Swiss giant together and well and embarked on an endless descent and flat area of about 60 km that would leave them at the door of the Moosalp (17.7 km at 7.6 percent), with the banner at 2,048 meters, where the goal was installed.
When the climb began, the party moved, but not much. Ineos pulled in pursuit with Omar Fraile as the locomotive, more than 5 minutes from the breakaway, from which two men had left: Masnada, Denz and Simmoins, who were joined by José Herrada and Champoussin 3 minutes from the finish line. A quintet climbing as the rosary of pursuers formed.
In front were the laurels for the stage, behind the Ineos threatened, but did not shake a sad blow. Masnada was the most ambitious, trying to solve before seeing the banner, but he was always neutralized. Even Simmons, who had been left off the hook, hooked back up to look for the surprise.
But there was no way. Finally Denz took the pulse with Champoussin and won by centimeters, enough to remember the stage all his life. In the sector of the high hierarchy, comfort and zero aggression. The favorites signed tables. They left everything for the weekend. With permission from COVID. This Saturday the seventh stage will be played, between Ambri and Malbun, of 194.6 km.
Nico Denz wins this Friday’s stage in the Tour of Switzerland, Sergio Higuita was ninth. In the general classification, after Vlasov’s retirement, Jakob Fuglsang is the leader and Higuita moves up to third place by 10 seconds. Daniel Martinez is 10 to 1 min 52 s.
– Lisandro Rengifo (@LisandroAbel) June 17, 2022
EFE
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