Soudal Quick-Step once again prominent at the Middle Eastern race.
Mauri Vansevenant concluded a strong week of racing in Saudi Arabia by finishing eighth overall at the sixth edition of the AlUla Tour, which ended Saturday afternoon with a tough stage to the Skyviews of Harrat Uwayrid.
The final day had another Belgian in the spotlight until the ramps of the decisive climb, Soudal Quick-Step Devo’s Lars Vanden Heede, who raced here together with the World Tour team. The 20-year-old was one of the seven riders to go in the breakaway, and he made quite the impression there, staying at the front for 150 kilometers and getting caught only on the double-digit gradients of Harrat Uwayrid.
On the steepest part of the climb, Mauri took center stage, at first by responding to several accelerations before launching one of his own and winning the intermediate sprint that brought him three vital bonus seconds. On the long, flat roads to the finish, the Belgian continued to show the same fighting spirit that he is known for, and this brought him a well-deserved GC result at the end of the day, making it for the 11th time in his career that he finished top ten in a stage race.
“I felt strong today and had the legs to try something. I attacked on the climb and opened a gap with two other guys, but unfortunately, the others came from behind with just a few kilometers left. Overall, I am content with my week, because I was there the entire time, I survived the crosswinds, and this makes me confident for my next race, the Tour of Oman”, Mauri said at the finish.
Photo credit: ©Dario Belingheri / Getty Images
