Richie Porte firmly in the saddle
14. June 2018

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In the final of the king’s stage, the overall first placed Richie Porte (BMC/AUS) managed to extend his lead by 12 seconds.

On the last few metres of the 186 km journey from Fiesch to Gommiswald, Porte gave a demonstration of his power. The Aussie pushed the pace so hard that one opponent after the other fell off his rear wheel. “At first I had no intention of attacking, but then I was signalled. that I should take a chance. I was almost surprised myself that the opponents could not keep up. Will I attack again on Friday at the mountain arrival in Arosa? Who knows, in cycling every day is different. I’d rather not make a prediction.”

Heavyweight in the BMC Racing Team was Michael Schär, who led the field alone for the first 140 km. “The last few days have been very intense. When Simon Gerrans and Alessandro de Marchi also came to the aid of the final, it became even harder because the rhythm was increased.” Words of appreciation to Michael Schär also came from Porte: “It is unbelievable what performance he showed!

Not quite unexpectedly, two races in the race developed over the passes Furka and Klausen, which are far from the finish. A leading group of up to 18 riders from 16 sports groups tried to save the day’s victory to the finish. Only five drivers managed to get to Gommiswald just before Porte.

The best among them was Sören Kragh Andersen (SUN/DEN), who celebrated his most important success as a professional: “I am overjoyed and I thank the team for giving me the opportunity to take my chance in this stage. For me the hard training paid off. When Michael Gogl attacked in the final, I took a risky game, because I was waiting for the counterattack by another driver. In the end my calculation worked out, although I am not the best climber. This triumph in Gommiswald strengthens my self-confidence.”Detail

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