Team United Shipping started maybe the highest quality race of the season at the Tour of Austria. Several World Tour teams were in the peloton, but TUS still made a race!
The bunch started nervously in the first few tens of kilometers, and the front wind was also strong. The breakaway was difficult to form, and it only formed after several tries. Zsombor Palumby was in one of the successful attempts. Later his escape was caught. Máté Endrédi tried in another attempt, but in the end, TUS was not represented in the breakaway that stayed ahead the longest.
The peloton controlled the events, but after they caught the breakaway, another attempt was started. And Erik Fetter was in it! The TUS captain broke away with Markel Beloki, Héctor Álvarez, and Luca Vergallito. They finally caught the attempt before the last mountain. UAE settled the endgame. Felix Großschartner won the stage, so he also took the yellow jersey.
Zsombor Palumby after his escape:
“I tried several times in the first 20 km, but none of the breakaways worked, partly because of the wide road, partly because sometimes the big teams tried to get into the breakaway. Then in the end they let one go, but I had to pace up with a Norwegian guy afterwards. We did it, but after the second intermediate sprint the bunch arrived from behind. I had to stop for a while to regenerate, but then I tried again. I almost managed to breakaway again, but I was just pushing myself to the limits when the breakaway went away from a counterattack. You can feel that the standards are really high, just from the fact that if you look left and right, there were riders who we saw on TV at the Giro or who are preparing for the Vuelta right now.”
Erik Fetter after his attempt at the World Tour:
“It was great to compete in such a high-quality bunch again after the Tour de Hongrie. The pace was very, very fast, but we tried, everyone in the team did well even at this high level. We didn’t plan in advance that I would attack. We were already inside the last 15 kilometers; the peloton was small and I had good feelings. The World Tour guys attacked and I gave myself a chance. I tried to bluff, save energy, and reserve it for the last very steep climb. Unfortunately, Jayco and UAE were going at a high pace at the front, and they caught us before the finish line. Even tomorrow’s finish could be in my favor. I’m confident; it did my self-confidence good to be in front of the best.”
📷Photos: Gergely Schöff