Lipowitz shows his strength on Vršič

Fight for Green peaked on the climb to Vršič, with Germany’s Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe) showing most strenght. He reached the summit of Slovenia’s highest road pass alone, but on the descent, he was caught by teammate Giulio Pellizzari, and together they rode to Kranjska Gora – to take the stage victory and the green jersey. Jakob Omrzel (Bahrain Victorious) also delivered an excellent performance on Vršič to the delight of the fans and now sits third overall.

The queen stage of the 32nd Tour of Slovenia was demanding from start to finish. Soon after the start in Kranj, the riders tackled the Dražgoše climb, then rode without any real flat sections through Bled and on to Kranjska Gora. After a brief visit to Italy and the ascent of Predel, they faced the hors category climb to Vršič. Large crowds gathered at the top, loudly cheering the riders and creating a corridor worthy of the biggest races in the world. The two Red Bull riders were the fastest on the climb, but that did not stop Omrzel from attacking on the descent. Lipowitz is simply less comfortable on descents, so Pellizzari’s assistance proved valuable, while Jakob clawed back almost a minute with an aggressive ride. However, the route was too short for anything more, and Florian and Giulio crossed the line celebrating with their arms raised high. Lipowitz now holds a four-second advantage and will defend the green jersey tomorrow, while Omrzel is third overall and the new leader of the young riders classification. Special mention should also go toJan Tratnik, who may not have won the stage but certainly won over the largest number of fans on the day’s key climb.

Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe): “Congrats to the team, they did a really good job today, which also put more pressure on me. But I felt good in the end, we went our pace on the climb and had Giulio there with me. This is my first victory after two years and I'm really proud on how we are racing as a team. I tried to help the team in the last days, but it didn't took too much effort from me. They gave everything back today. Last stage will be super tricky, including the final climb. We have a strong team here and can control it, Giulio is on the same time as well. For sure it will be a though day and we need to stay focused, but hopefully we bring it home.”

Jakob Omrzel (Bahrain Victorious): “The stage was difficult, but I still enjoyed it. I knew what my pace was, where my limits were, and I rode according to my own abilities. The two Red Bull riders really increased the pace in the first third of the climb, and I knew that if I didn’t go into the red, I had a good chance of maintaining a strong pace up Vršič, and that is exactly what happened. I also enjoyed the descent into the valley. I generally feel comfortable on descents, and on top of that I know this descent and these cobblestones. It is very nice to wear the jersey. The original goal was to finish in the top three of the general classification, and for now we are succeeding in that. But the race is not over yet! Tomorrow is on my roads, my home stage, and I hope that something more can still happen in our favour.”

The fifth and final stage will start in Litija and finish at the traditional location in Novo mesto. Covering 169.4 kilometres, the stage promises excitement all the way to the finish, with the start scheduled for 11:00 a.m.

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Fotos: Sportida, video: Televizija Slovenija