Bilbao gives Bahrain Victorious runner-up finish in Tour of the Alps

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Team Bahrain Victorious rider Pello Bilbao sprinted to a runner-up finish in the opening stage of the 45th Tour of the Alps, which got underway yesterday in Italy. Bahrain Victorious are competing in the event with a six-man squad, who showed strongly on the front of the bunch throughout day one.

The event is part of the 2022 UCI ProSeries and it also passes through parts of Austria. Bahrain Victorious were once again dominant in the chase towards the end, but Geoffrey Bouchard of AG2R Citroen Team managed to hold on for the victory, while five seconds behind came Bilbao around and through a big group. He passed five riders to take the sprint for second place.

“At one point we thought the race was lost,” said Bilbao after the stage. “The peloton didn’t work together 100 per cent but we tried to pull full in the last 5km and we were near.” The Basque rider, who finished second overall last year in the same race, takes a time bonus on the line to lie nine seconds back in general classification. Bahrain Victorious teammates Santiago Buitrago came over the line in 11th, and leader Mikel Landa made it three of the team’s riders in the top 25. “We showed that we can do great things in this race,” Bilbao added.