THE DANISH MOVISTAR TEAM CHAMPION, BEATEN BY WIEBES (DSM) IN THE SPRINT OF THE SECOND DAY, NEVERTHELESS EXTENDS HER ADVANTAGE IN A GENERAL WHERE SHE ALREADY HAS 10โณ OVER HER CLOSEST RIVAL, KOPECKY (BEL).
In the rain and with temperatures, not so usual at the end of May,ย Emma Norsgaard (Movistar Team) retained her leader’s jersey in a Tour of Thuringen that this Wednesday experienced its second stage, 120 km around Gera with cobblestones, small dimensions and an inevitable sprint whereย the best world sprint specialist, Lorena Wiebes (DSM) won.
With hardly any breaks ahead of the peloton, the main battle of the day was in theย bonusesย of the intermediate sprints, a task in which Kopecky (BEL) approached Norsgaard – she added 5โณ and was four seconds behind the Nordic, who in turn had also added three seconds – to then return almost to the starting point due to the 6โณ harvested by Emma on arrival, 2nd after Wiebes.ย The Dane, supported once again by Biannic, Guarischi, Oyarbide, Gutiรฉrrez or Teruel, increases her margin to 10โณ,ย with Brand (TFS), 3rd, twelveย seconds behindย theย yellowย jersey, and Henderson (TJV) and Pieters (SDW), close out theย top-five, at 16โณ.
The German tour will headย to Schleizย tomorrow Thursdayย (110 km) for a more demanding day than the previous ones, withย the longest pass of the race and a very winding terrain in the final stages.ย All this, a prelude to theย queenย dayย of Dรถrtendorf, with the one known as Hanka-berg, asย judgedย on Friday.
Cover image (c):ย Arne Mill /ย Photo Gomez Sport