Baloise Belgium Tour

Martin Svrcek had a valiant outing on the penultimate stage of the Belgium Tour, the hardest one of this edition, which comprised a total of 19 climbs, including the one to the finish in Durbuy. The young Slovak, who less than three weeks ago soloed to his first victory in the Soudal Quick-Step jersey at Gullegem Koerse, was among the first to attack, his effort being decisive in a breakaway forming.

Three minutes was the maximum advantage of the 11-man group, but they worked well together and forced the peloton to chase really hard to wipe out that deficit. Martin Svrcek rode incredibly in the break and spared no effort, staying off the front until the last 35 kilometers of the stage, when the race came back together. Another group got away on one of the many hills in the final part of the course, but they were brought back on the Mur de Durbuy (1.2km, 6.2%), where Alex Aranburu (Movistar) took the win.

“I felt good today. I enjoyed being in the breakaway, we were a strong group there and believed in our chances, but the peloton pulled hard and caught us. Despite this, I am pretty content with my effort and with how I felt there”, Martin explained after the stage.

Our best rider on the day was Kasper Asgreen, who kept hold of his sixth place on the general classification after an impressive effort on the Mur de Durbuy: “The headwind on the second half of the circuit blocked the race a bit. Without it, I think we would have had more attacks and bigger gaps. I did my best, but it was really tough. Nevertheless, I am satisfied with protecting my place in the standings with one stage to go.”

Photo credit: ©Luc Claessen / Getty Images