1602 Tour de Valland

[Hadash]

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Stage 17 | Mountain stage - 208 km

A long breakaway was formed in the seventeenth stage, the longest of the three remaining high mountain stages, which were expected to decide the winner (and podium) of the 1602 Tour de Valland. The winner of the stage was not decided until the last kilometres, after a long and sustained attack by Goldecian Caleb Foster (Ogo-Abbott), which broke the unity on the first group. Foster, however, would be defeated in the final metres by Kyrzbekistani Anvar Lenarur (KyrzAir), winning his first Tour de Valland individual stage in the same season he finished second in the Tour of West Brigidna.

Tomasso Zavala (Velomax) was the most active rider between the favourites, surprising with a far away attack. Behind, it was certainly a bad day for Bagdati team, as their Ceribian team leaders lose considerable time in the final kilometres in the stage.

Roman Herzogenrath (Télecon) became the new leader of the general classification, with Zavala only twenty-six seconds behind. Kazemuran climber Yamaguchi Shoyo (MTS-Biassoni) was again one of the most active riders of the stage, which climbed to the third place in the podium, at one minute and thirty-six seconds. The young vallish climber Claude Bécaud (Vançotte) climbed to the fourth place, at one-minute and forty-nine seconds, as well as taking the Youth classification jersey.

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Stage 18 | Mountain stage - 127 km

The stage eighteenth was considered the toughest of the last week's high mountain stages. However, despite many attempts to form a successful breakaway, the peloton took relatively easy before the final climb. Then, the Télecon team imposed a high pace which ended the options of the remaining riders from the breakaway.

Saratovian climber Arnošt Klement (Soyuz-Kuprin) attacked when there were already ten kilometres to finish, and his attack could only by followed by other three riders: Tomasso Zavala (Velomax), the leader Roman Herzogenrath (Télecon), and Soyabarian Ulrick Vandenhof (Scholden-Gulcron). During the last kilometres, Zavala attacked several times, but he failed to leave behind Herzogenrath.

Three kilometres to the finish, Vandenhof attacked for first time and he did not need a second try, as his rivals did not try to follow him at first. Although his lead was reduced quickly from 40" to 20" in the new kilometre, the 1600 Tour de Valland winner crossed the line in solitary, winning his second Tour individual stage in his career. Zavala arrived fourteen seconds later, followed by Klement and Herzogenrath a few metres behind.

Yamaguchi Shoyo (MTS-Biassoni) had clearly paid the efforts of the previous day, losing more than five minutes in the stage. As a consequence, Herzogenrath distanced from most of his rivals before the final mountain stage, except Zavala, who was second at seventeen seconds now. Claude Bécaud (Vançotte) was third at two minutes and thirty-seven seconds.

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Stage 19 | Mountain stage - 130 km

The last mountain stage was not as tough as the previous ones, but it was expected to decide the winner of the Tour. There was not much action until the last climb, with the main group reduced to eleven riders. Along Télecon team, Soyuz-Kuprin and Scholden-Gulcron were particularly active, impossing a high pace.

Zavala tried to leave Herzogenrath behind several times with constant attack, but the Dyrheimer climber was able to follow the Lomarran's wheel every time. During a pause that followed once of Zavala's attacks, Yamaguchi Shoyo (MTS-Biassoni), surprisingly attacked, probably aimed to forget his bad day the day before with a stage win. Only Marek Maruška (Soyuz-Kuprin) was able to follow him, with the young Saratovian rider easily defeated a visibly frustrated Shoyo in the final metres. Seventeen seconds later, a group of five riders arrived, including Zavala and Herzogenrath, as not even his last attack was able to leave Herzogenrath behind.

Although Claude Bécaud would lose more than one minute, most of his rivals for the third place in the podium did as well, allowing the 24-year old climber to reach the podium for first time, as well as the Youth classification.

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Stage 20 | Flat stage - 128 km

The peloton entered in Lauren led by Télecon team, which won their third Tour de Valland in four years. Roman Herzogenrath also became the first rider to repeat victory since 1595.

As expected, the stage winner was decided in a mass sprint, without incidences, in which Antoine Duchesnay (NDM) won his fourth individual stage this Tour -the number 25 in his career-, defeating Mordvanian Rein Warma (Iskra) and Florinthian Quentin Symonds (Dido-GDC).

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