Pitch black day on the last stage at the Tour Alsace!
Team Vorarlberg with pitch black day – spectator brings Team Vorarlberg to fall and out of the race!
“Olala” – as the Alsatians like to say! The fifth and last stage of the strongly occupied Tour de Alsace UCI 2.2 was geared to attack the podium. The rather short, but all the more crisp section from Ribeauville to Cernay over 137.7 kilometers was once again provided with an eleven kilometer long climb in the last third of the race.
For the first time in the history of Team Vorarlberg, almost the entire team had to be given up today. Two spectators jumped into the streets without any comment and caused many riders to crash at high speed. At this point Team Vorarlberg was gathered in the first positions and had no chance to react. Except Pirmin Benz and Jon Knolle, all had to finish the race battered and damaged.
“This is completely incomprehensible and really hurts when you see the riders suffer so. Especially without any fault of their own. Now we have to take stock of how Stüssi, Meiler and others fared. We hope for the best and will then decide how to proceed. Because the two-week tour of Portugal is just around the corner. All in all, a black day for us!” Thomas Kofler – Team Manager
Result: https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/tour-alsace/2023/stage-5
26.07. Prolog Sausheim 4,3 km
27.07. Stage 1 Europa Park Rust – Selestat 166,1 km
28.07. Stage 2 Vesoul – La Planche des Belles Filles 132,6 km
29.07. Stage 3 Tagolsheim – Altkirch 197 km
30.07. Stage 4 Ribeauville – Cernay 137,7 km
Line-up Team Vorarlberg: Dominik Amann, Lukas Meiler, Jon Knolle, Pirmin Benz, Oscar Cabedo, Colin Stüssi;
Press service Team Vorarlberg