Groenewegen takes victory #7 at Tour Of Slovenia

Dylan Groenewegen (Team Jayco–AlUla) might soon become an honorary citizen of Ormož, as he claimed victory there for the third time in a row. With this latest stage win, he also tied Boštjan Mervar’s record of seven stage victories. Slovenian Tilen Finkšt (Adria Mobil) achieved his best result at the Tour of Slovenia so far by finishing sixth. The hero of the stage, which started in Majšperk and included a large loop through the Haloze hills, was also Nejc Komac (Factor Racing), the sole breakaway rider who managed to win the mountain classification at Jeruzalem.

The 31st edition of the Tour of Slovenia has now entered its second half, where the battle for the green jersey will intensify. Today’s third stage was expected to be one for the sprinters. A large group, including all the main contenders, arrived in Ormož, and for the second time this year, the fastest rider was the Dutchman Dylan Groenewegen (Team Jayco–AlUla). Juan Sebastian Molano Benavides (UAE Team Emirates XRG) and Phil Bauhaus (Bahrain Victorious) finished second and third. The best-placed Slovenian was Tilen Finkšt (Adria Mobil), whose sixth place marks his best finish in the race; he was previously seventh in the first stage in Škofljica.

After the win, Dylan Groenewegen said: “We know the finish in Ormož well, but like yesterday, it was a very tough stage to end. Together with Q36.5, we took control of the race, and in the end, we pushed the hardest. I think we deserved the win again today. The team did a really good job. In the final meters, I had to go a bit on my own after losing contact with the team in the last corner, but it turned into a great battle with Molano and I took the victory. I’m really happy with the performance.”

The green jersey for the race leader was comfortably defended by Swiss rider Fabio Christen (Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team), who finished with the peloton. “Today wasn’t super hard for me. The team did a great job controlling the stage, and I tried to ride as conservatively as possible to save energy for tomorrow. It was also really hot again — it feels like it gets warmer every day. Hopefully, the temperatures drop a bit once we head into the mountains.
I’ll try to defend the jersey on Saturday for as long as I can, but in the last five kilometers, it’ll all come down to the legs. If I have a good day, I think I can stay in the top five on GC. We’ll see.” said Christen after the race.

Nejc Komac (Factor Racing) showed a very brave performance. He was part of a six-man breakaway and persisted in a solo attack for a long time. Upon reaching Jeruzalem, he still had a one-minute lead, but the peloton eventually increased the pace and caught him just four kilometers from the finish.

The fourth stage is expected to significantly shake up the overall standings. The stage starts in Maribor with a flat section, followed by two major mountain climbs: the second-category ascent to Kranjski Rak and the first-category climb to Golte.

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Photo: Sportida