ZLM Tour: Ewan wins - Benoot climbs to fourth overall
The curtain fell on the five-day ZLM Tour with a flat stage between Eindhoven and Tilburg today. The fast guys battled for the victory today and after a hectic finale, it was Caleb Ewan who beat the German Walscheid and the Dutch rider Groenewegen with an impressive acceleration! Mike Teunissen wins the ZLM Tour, Jasper De Buyst finishes fourth overall. Rasmus Byriel Iversen could step onto the podium to pick up the young rider’s jersey.
Three escapees animated the final stage but the peloton - led by Jumbo-Visma - did not grant the three up front a lot of advantage. That way, another bunch sprint was almost certain to happen. In the finale, Jelle Wallays escaped the peloton and rode to Reinders - the last remaining escapee of the day - but after a brave effort, they were reeled in at around six kilometres from the finish. Only moments later, Nikolas Maes attacked but he was also caught. Eventually, the sprinters battled for the win in Tilburg and it was Lotto Soudal rider Caleb Ewan who proved to be the fastest today. With an impressive sprint, the Australian beat the German Walscheid and the Dutch rider Groenewegen. This victory gives Ewan a confidence boost towards his next race: the Tour de France.
Caleb Ewan: “I knew that I was building my form through this ZLM Tour, which was the first goal for this race. I did a little bit of everything in this five-day race. I did a good time trial in the start, a few sprints and some attacks. Actually, the legs felt pretty tired today but luckily, I had something left in the end. Of course, it’s always good for the confidence to get a win. In the finale, we were trying to make Jumbo-Visma work harder as first Jelle Wallays and then Nikolas Maes attacked. So the goal was to make them use up their guys so it wouldn’t be easy for them to do a normal lead-out. I think we successfully did that because they were running out of guys and had to chase really hard during the final local lap. It was a different tactic but in the end, it worked.”
“We were also running short of guys but Roger Kluge and Jasper De Buyst kept the speed high so it was easier for me to jump on the wheel of Groenewegen. Then I knew, once we got through the chicane with 200 metres to go, I needed to start my sprint, so that’s what I did. I came around him with some good speed and could take the win. “
“It is always good to win a sprint before a big goal. I had the same in the Tour of Turkey, which gave me confidence going into the Giro, where I took two nice stage victories. It’s good to get that winning feeling again and it should give me some confidence for the first part of the Tour.”
Benoot climbs to fourth overall in Tour de Suisse
Tiesj Benoot secured his fourth place in the general classification of the Tour de Suisse today. In a short but brutal stage with the Nufenen-, Gotthard- and Furkapass, the 25-year-old Lotto Soudal rider did not let his nice spot on the general classification slip through his fingers. The final stage was won by the Brit Hugh Carthy, who produced an impressive solo. Benoot finished seventh today. The Colombian Egan Bernal takes the overall victory.
Tiesj Benoot: “Of course, we wanted to try and have a shot at the overall podium today, but with such a hard stage in front of us, the legs would do all the talking. With the finish after the descent, I needed to take some advantage but eventually, holding on to fourth place was the highest possible thing today. During the ascent of the Furkapass, I was close to my limit and racing defensively was the only option. Otherwise, I would have certainly still tried something today.”
“In the first part of the race, teams like Team Ineos and Bahrain-Merida controlled the race and during the first two climbs, I felt that the pace could still be increased. For a moment, there was a little panic as I punctured on the Gotthardpass but luckily, I was able to get back to the group of favourites thanks to a quick wheel change. That was a crucial thing with the descent in sight.”
“Of course, I am really satisfied with my performances in the Tour de Suisse. Before the race, I never thought I would have been able to finish fourth overall. With the feeling I had during the final week of training in the Sierra Nevada, I hoped to obtain a place inside the top ten, but it’s always difficult to say so after two months without racing. Finishing eight seconds from the podium maybe is a pity, but I am also only one second ahead of the fifth rider on the general classification.”
“This performance gives me a lot of confidence towards the Belgian Championships and the Tour de France. It is nice to see the good shape confirmed with a nice result. A stage win remains the ambition for the Tour de France. A Grand Tour is something different to a one-week stage race, so we don’t need to adapt the goals.”
Lotto Soudal also raced on Belgian soil today in the Elfstedenronde. It was Tim Merlier who sprinted to victory as he beat Jakobsen and Philipsen. Jens Keukeleire was the first Lotto Soudal and finished fourteenth.
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