Today was goooood.
The stage was shorter and flatter than the last two days with 1200 m of climbing over 89 km. This is why it was good. I started in B and got a good bunch after the first climb which was fairly short. The course then rolled along for a bit before turning onto the narrow road that in previous years has been at the end of this stage. We rode up this road and it slowly climbed with some more rollers. It was never too steep so I managed to hold onto the bunch. We then had a really really nice long descent. Usually the descent ends earlier with a sprint to the finish line but this time we continued down followed by a hard right and then a gradual climb for many kms. Then more descending and speedy flat riding.
Later another bigger ascent where the bunch split. We worked hard into a head wind along the flat to catch the rest of the bunch and were successful. It wasn’t long and we were near the end of the stage where we had a steeper ascent. I couldn’t keep up and rode the rest of the course with three other guys to the finish line in the Alpen Arena in Villach.
A very enjoyable speedy stage.
