CYCLING – JAKOB Omrzel claimed a solid top 20 finish for Team Bahrain Victorious yesterday in the opening stage of the 49th Tour of the Alps, to be held across five stages in Austria and Italy.
Omrzel was part of a massive bunch sprint to the finish that featured more than 70 competitors at the end of the 144.3-kilometre leg, which began and finished in the Austrian city of Innsbruck.
Bahrain Victorious’ Slovenian ace took 16th overall and was classified with a similar time as stage winner Tommaso Dati of Team Ukyo, who clocked a mark of three hours 21 minutes and 35 seconds.
Omrzel’s teammate Kasper Borremans from Finland followed in 41st place overall, while Austrian Rainer Kepplinger was not far behind in 44th.
Bahrain Victorious’ seven-strong squad was completed by Briton Oliver Stockwell in 80th, Hugarian Balint Feldhoffer and Dutchman Max van der Meulen in 86th and 87th, respectively, and Slovenian Roman Ermakov in 91st.
Following yesterday’s result, Omrzel also ranked sixth in the best young rider classification, where he boasts a similar time as leader Gabriele Bessega of team Polti Visit Malta.
The Tour of the Alps is an elite men’s road race that is a part of this season’s Union Cycliste Internationale Pro Series. The event continues today with the second stage, covering 147.5km from the race’s 762.7km total distance.
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