Ybbs, July 13th– Waidhofen – Ybbs Sonntagberg / Stage 7 – 129.3 km
The first professional victory of Antonio Nibali ! It is the TBM Lucky # 13 ! On a Friday, 13th with his starting number 13 !
Stage 7 - Tour of Austria 2018. started today in Waldhofen with 4 laps to the Sonntagberg, which ment to be a selective climb.
The strategy for TBM from the start was to dominate and make all possible to go into an early breakaway and in the penultimate lap to watch out for Hermann Pernsteiner and make him go for taking the difference for the GC jersey takeover. The plan was starting to be feasible, but a bad group crash happened where Mark Padun and Hermann Pernsteiner suffered injuries. Unfortunately, Mark Padun crashed badly into the metal fence and had to pull out from the race. He was taken to the local hospital in Ybbs, where doctors diagnosted a neck injury, a cut and 3 broken ribs. TBM doctor Carlo Guardascione was monitoring the treatment of Mark Padun who will have an overnight in the nearby hospital. Mark Padun got 12 stiches and his condition is stable. Hermann Pernsteiner continued the race with an injured shoulder and TBM mechanics changed his damaged bike.
Matej MohoriÄ and Antonio Nibali were in the breakaway with ten more riders, Giovanni Visconti, Enrico Gasparotto, and Kanstantin Siotsou in the peloton trying to keep eyes on TBM leader, Hermann Pernsteiner.
Matej MohoriÄ felt great and made a tremendous job to support and control Antonio Nibali to the last climb to Sonntagberg, where Antonio Nibali used all his energy to get his victory.
And at the end, Antonio Nibali took his first pro career victory. Took a clean victory for Bahrain Merida Pro Cycling Team. He put the strawberry on a cake to the week in Austria where TBM took four victories in 7 stages. A victory of Matej MohoriÄ, two victories by Giovanni Visconti and a sweet victory of Antonio Nibali at the penultimate stage of Tour of Austria 2018.
Tomorrow is the last stage of Tour of Austria, let’s guess what TBM has in plan…
Antonio NIbali expressed his joy with the wide smile in the style that’s one of a kind;
"It was an amazing effort. Matej, I thank you and all in my team. Now I finally got my first professional victory. I'm not a dilettante any more :) I am so happy ! "
Matej MohoriÄ took the point leading position from Giovanni Visconti, Hermann Pernsteiner is the runner up in the GC with 18 seconds behind Hermans (ICA) and the best Austrian rider.
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