In fact, Team BAHRAIN MERIDA leader confirmed his second place overall on the final stage, that was also the Queen stage.
A brutal day in the saddle, through an Alpine 144.4km circuit, starting and finishin in Goms and featuring three hors catégorie passes (Nufenen, Gotthard and Furka) with cyclists climbing more than 3.000 metres in total.
“Our aim today was to keep the second place overall with Rohan and we managed to do it” Team Sports Director Paolo Artuso commented “It was almost impossible to attack Bernal on the climb. We tried to do it on the last climb, but he had very good legs. Today the team worked perfectly: Antonio Nibali entered in the day’s breakaway, then he helped in the finale; Mohoric’s job was amazing and he was able to get back on the descent before the last climb to offer his support”.
And then Rohan Dennis was extraordinary, fighting with the GC leader until the end and coming to the finish line together with him, in second place, 1’02” behind the stage winner Hugh Carthy.
“It has been a good Tour de Suisse. I really didn’t expect to come here and get second overall” the Aussie champion explains “Moreover, a stage win and with Egan Bernal on the front on the Queen stage, taking a second place, was more than I’ve planned to do. But I have to say that lot of work was done behind the scenes and even today.
Today the team worked together with team Ineos and it looked like we were working with them, but we had a plan to try to take the win today and do everything was possible to do. But unfortunately, Bernal was too strong this week. Anyway, taking second overall, we can be really proud of that”.
“We can be super satisfied with this Tour de Suisse” Artuso adds “We took a stage win, two second places, a third and a fourth place. Moreover two guys in the final top ten”.
In fact, also Domenico Pozzovivo finished in the Queen stage’s top ten (8th) and took 7thplace overall: “We achieved great results as a team this week. I have only a regret, because my good performance was spoiled by the mechanicals issue I had during the time trial yesterday and on the first day I was the only GC contender to ride under heavy rain, losing several decisive seconds. Otherwise I think I could get easily the top five overall”.
