The 23-year-old took a confidence-boosting result on the last stage of the Tour of Oman.
One of cycling’s hardest climbs, boasting steep exposed roads and gradients reaching 14%, the 5.7km-long Green Mountain was again decisive at the Tour of Oman, and Soudal Quick-Step was prominent there, as it was the case almost every time since this brutal ascent was introduced at the race, more than a decade ago.
Junior Lecerf, who got his season underway in the Middle East last week, was our team’s top finisher on Jabal Al Akhdar, after fighting tooth and nail in the closing two kilometers, when the race exploded after a series of big attacks at the front of an already depleted peloton.
The young Belgian – winner of the Czech Tour last year – found himself in the first chasing group, trailing the leaders by around 20 seconds, but on the final ramp he found something extra for one powerful surge that helped him pass a few riders and conclude a strong ninth.
“It wasn’t the easiest week of racing for me, but in the last few days I began feeling better and better, and today I was close to my best level. This is one hard climb, so it makes me happy to conclude the race with a strong result, despite coming a bit short when it came to joining the best once they made their move. Nevertheless, I take a lot of confidence from this and I’m already looking forward to the next races”, Junior said after the race.
Photo credit: ©Szymon Gruchalski / Getty Images
