Tour de France #13: Tough finish on first transitional stage
African team ride well to set up sprint
The first transitional stage between the Pyrenees and the Alps would be won by the Belgian, Greg van Avermaet (BMC Racing). Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo) was the rider in 2nd place and Jan Bakelants (AG2R La Mondiale) was 3rd.
A 6 rider break went clear inside of 10km from the start but Team Giant-Alpecin had ideas of a stage win today and held the escapees around 4'00" all day. With 40km to go, Orica-Greenedge and Team MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung came to the fore in assisting to reel in the fugitives.
Jacques Janse van Rensburg, Daniel Teklehaimanot and Steve Cummings would all put in some big turns as our African team were looking to set up Edvald Boasson Hagen for the tough final kilometer sprint. The break fought valiantly to hold on to some sort of advantage and would reach the flamme rouge with a 15 second lead. The gradient of over 8% that took the riders to the line would be to the detriment of the final 3 surviving breakaway riders though.
Edvald started the short sharp climb in a good position, just behind Sagan but unfortunately it would not be the Norwegian champions day. Van Avermaet surged clear with 400m to go, Sagan tried to match the BMC rider but just ran out of steam 20m before the line. The finish had been a lot tougher than many had anticipated with the GC riders filling the majority of the top 20 stage placings.
Edvald Boasson Hagen - Rider
It was a really hot day but our team was working really well, especially in the end. After always keeping me in the front, Steve and Daniel helped to chase down the break. When it came to the last climb my legs were empty. It was too warm and the lactic acid was too much so I couldn't do anything on the climb which was a pity, but the team was excellent.
About MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung
Team MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung was founded in 2007, steadily working its way up from a regional team to now being a Continental Pro team with bases in South Africa and Italy. MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung’s goal is to give talented African riders a path into the pro peloton while raising funds for Qhubeka. In 2015, MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung are inviting you to help them mobilise 5,000 kids on bicycles. To contribute to the #BicyclesChangeLives Campaign, click here.
Qhubeka is an Nguni word that means “to progress”, “to move forward”. Qhubeka (qhubeka.org) is World Bicycle Relief's program in South Africa. World Bicycle Relief (worldbicyclerelief.org) is a global non-profit organization dedicated to advancing education, health and economic opportunities by providing simple, sustainable transportation. Since World Bicycle Relief’s founding in 2005, it has delivered more than 220,000 specially designed, locally assembled bicycles to people in need. To contribute to the #BicyclesChangeLives Campaign, click here.
MTN (mtn.co.za) is a long-time supporter of Qhubeka and the team. Launched in 1994, the MTN Group is a leading emerging market operator, connecting 219.2 million subscribers in 22 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
Learn more about the team at
www.teammtnqhubeka.com.
Enjoy our fanzone at
www.teammtnqhubeka.com/Fanzone.
