The 26-year-old Belgian is now in contention for a good GC result at the Saudi event.
Three days into his seventh season with Soudal Quick-Step, Mauri Vansevenant put in a convincing uphill ride that helped him make a big jump in the general classification of the AlUla Tour – a race where he is present for the first time in his career.
A hilly 142.1km parcours culminating on the gruelling slopes of Bir Jaydah Mountain Wirkah awaited on Thursday, when the stage followed its traditional pattern: a small breakaway rode clear only for the peloton to bring it back before the last 20 kilometers. On the last descent, several riders crashed; among them, Soudal Quick-Step’s Laurenz Rex, who fortunately got back on his bike and concluded the stage.
Soon after, the road began going up and attacks came. Gianmarco Garofoli responded to one of these moves and stayed in the lead until the closing 1200 meters of the stage, when the chasers came back. Three riders then extricated themselves from that group, going to the line, where Yannis Voisard (Tudor Pro Cycling) took the win.
Mauri came over the line only a few seconds later, and thanks to this solid performance, he finished fifth, moving up to the same position on the overall standings, where the gaps remain small with two stages to go.
Photo credit: ©Dario Belingheri / Getty Images
