Thymen takes second at Tour of the Alps

Thymen Arensman battled to second overall on the final day of the Tour of the Alps after a fantastic GC showdown against Michael Storer.

Arensman fought for second place as he chased the aggressive Storer for the final third of the race after the Tudor Pro Cycling rider attacked on the steep Banneberg climb.

The race leader fought valiantly to limit his losses, but Storer was able to extend his advantage on the final two climbs, with Arensman crossing the line one minute and 30 seconds behind despite a determined performance. 

A break of 11 escaped in the early stages of the 112.7km stage, after good work from the Grenadiers had controlled the break and prevented counter-attacks. 

However, Storer attacked from the main bunch with 34km to go after a leadout from his teammate Florian Stork on the second ascent of the Banneberg, forcing Arensman to respond to the increased pace.

The Australian then attacked again, opening up a 20 second gap which he increased to over a minute with help from teammate Lucas Eiksson in the valley before the final climb. 

As Nicolas Prodhomme (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team) took the stage win, Storer finished eighth to take the GC win, with Arensman a minute and a half back in ninth to finish second overall. 

Reaction

Thymen Arensman:

“Chapeau to Michael, his team did a really good job. My team also did a really good job and we tried to create the best scenario possible for me to make it a hard race and get the punch out of the legs. Michael was just so strong when he attacked. I also felt really strong and I’m really proud of my performance. I had a big gap on the other GC riders so I’m just proud of my performance. I think it’s a well deserved second place.”