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Slavoj Savincek wins 1586 Tour de Valland
By Richard W. Wallace
Published: Zechyr 26, 1586





Lauren, Valland - Slavoj Savincek won his first Tour de Valland, after a calm final stage in Lauren, which ended with Florinthian sprinter Richard Malone (Dido-Great Life) winning his 30th individual stage in the Tour de Valland.

The 33-year old Mordvanian climber becomes the first Mordvanian rider to win a grand tour. Savincek took the red jersey only after stage 17th, the last high mountain stage, by merely one second ahead of Adwest climber Eden Grace Weatherhead (Tyrus-Empire). Following a turbulent 18th stage, the 19th stage -a 31-km time-trial stage- decided the winner of the Tour, with Savincek increased his advantage to the final twenty-five seconds, the second shortest in the history of the Tour de Valland.

It was a very chatoic and balanced Tour, one could say, with six riders ending the general classification within a difference below the two minutes. Goldecian Dannie Upton Steele (Royal Abbott) ended in the last place in the podium, displacing Eskkyan Pierre Bonchamps (BataVelo). Despite the small differences in the general classification, Weatherhead and Steele seemed quite satisfied to reach the podium this year, which nobody -maybe not even themselves- expected they could be serious candidates. Weatherhead kept the Young classification by merely fifteen seconds over Steele, and many predict this could just the first one in a long rivalry for the next decade as the Adwestene climber and the Goldecian all-rounder -23 and 24 years old, respectively- could be considered two of the most promising riders of their generation after this Tour.

The Mountain classification was won by Amaury Servan (Rolareux-Vançotte), who becomes the first Eskkyan climber in two decades to win the Mountain classification. The Points classification was won by Vallish sprinter Robert Réjane (Rolareux-Vançotte) -the only rider to win three individual stages- winning the Points classification for second time after 1579.

Savincek has confirmed that he will not participate in the Ceribian Tour. It is expected that the Mordvelo team will be led by Joze Prezeren.