Alexey Lutsenko was one of the protagonists in Saturday’s last mountain stage of the Tour de Suisse
The Kazakh leader of Astana Qazaqstan Team spent a good day in the breakaway and took a strong third place atop Malbun climb in Liechtenstein, Astana Pro Team informed on its website.
"I had a plan to go in a break today and to try something there. I decided not to react to the first attacks and to wait until the first big climb Lukmanierpass, there I counterattacked and joined a group of riders in front. Finally, we got a good gap and started working well together. In a moment a few riders attacked from our group, and I had to counterattack to bring them back. Well, we came back together on the descent, but Gianni Moscon, who was with me in the breakaway, could not follow us anymore. There was so hot on the last climb to Malbun, and maybe I started it a bit too fast. However, later I tried to get my own rhythm, fighting for a stage win until the last kilometer. I stayed really close to Pinot, but could not catch him until the finish line. Well, I think it was a good stage for me and I am really happy that today I was feeling much better than in the previous days. Indeed, I had a bad crash, and the question was to continue or to abandon, but I was able to pass these tough moments through and today I felt like I am coming back to normal", – said Alexey Lutsenko.
Stage 7 of the Tour de Suisse started in Ambri airport in Switzerland and finished atop tough climb to Malbun in Liechtenstein. After numerous attacks a group of 19 riders broke away clear with Alexey Lutsenko and Gianni Moscon among the escapers. On the final climb it was Lutsenko, who launched an attack together with Thibaut Pinot and Ion Izagirre. The Astana Qazaqstan Team leader was fighting for a stage win until the very last moment, but finished third. Pinot became the stage winner.
Photo: astana-qazaqstan.com.
