Briton Simon Yates delivered Team BikeExchange the overall victory at Tour of the Alps today, dominating the mountainous five-day race from start to finish, showing impressive form ahead of his main goal of the season next month, the Giro d’Italia.
The 28-year-old secured the overall title in style, by claiming the Queen stage victory on day two, followed by another top performance on yesterday’s stage, accelerating on the final climb with only one other rider able to follow.
Today’s final, short but hilly 120km day was all about keeping Yates safe. Team BikeExchange controlled the stage once again, originally putting Callum Scotson in the early breakaway, before guiding Yates to the finish line in the main front group just 40 seconds behind the solo stage winner Felix Großschartner.
Simon Yates – 2021 Tour of the Alps Winner
“I am really happy it was a fantastic result, the guys did an amazing job, not just today but all week and we really gelled as a team. They controlled at the start then rode all day and in the final they were fantastic again.
It was a short day and there wasn’t much action for the general classification, but it was still a hard day with a lot of stress in the peloton and with the fast descent here to the finish, it was always nervous.
I feel good, now we just need to look after ourselves, try not to get sick, try not to get injured and try to arrive to the Giro d’Italia in the best possible shape.”
Matt White – Head Sport Director
“In the end it was a very successful week for the team. We came here with the primary goal to go through the process to get ready as a team for our major goal of the Giro d’Italia next month and I think we ticked a lot of boxes.
Obviously winning the race was the objective but also to bring this group of riders together and it worked very well. It gives us great confidence going into the Giro and we have some fresh faces and old hands coming in.
For those guys to have worked together in this environment this week in Italy with our leader and with the success we have had, it has been a great boost for us.”
2021 Tour of the Alps – Stage 5 Results:
- Felix Großschartner 3:03:38
- Nicholas Roche +0:34
- Alessandro de Marchi +0:34
- Simon Yates (Team BikeExchange) +0:40
Final General Classification after 5 stages:
- Simon Yates (Team BikeExchange) 18:36:06
- Pello Bilbao +0:58
- Alex Vlasov +1:06
- Nick Schultz (Team BikeExchange) +3:36
