Racing
Simon Carr wins stage five of the Tour of the Alps
Georg Steinhauser made it a one-two finish for us on the final day of the Alpine race, while Hugh Carthy came in second overall
April 21, 2023
Simon Carr won the fifth and final stage of the Tour of the Alps with a beautiful solo attack.
The 24-year-old one-two’d the break with his German teammate Georg Steinhauser at the end of a wet, cold day in the mountains. Hugh Carthy joined them on the podium in Brunico after finishing second on the general classification.
It was a magnificent reward for the courage they showed all week.
“I had been in the break on three occasions this week,” Simon said after his win. “I think I spent more time in the break than in the bunch, which has been good fun. This morning, I was really tired, so I was surprised to have those legs in the final, but I’m really happy I finished it off.”
Simon finished it off with style.
After a fast start out of Cavelese in the Italian province of Trentino, the race crossed into Sud Tirol via the Passo Lavazè. Georg had joined an early break but the peloton tore down the descent from top of the 1,808 meter col to the valley floor, taking the wet corners at high-speed and caught them. Simon went with the counter and Georg made it in too.
“This morning, we thought the break would have a chance to go to the line,” Simon said. “The plan was for me and Georg Steinhauser to go in the break, which is what happened. He was really strong in the start and got in the first move, but it was brought back after that first big climb, and then another break formed with both of us and that was exactly what we wanted so we were able to fight for the stage.”
Up the Valle Isarco and Val Pusteria, Simon and Georg just rolled through, but when their group hit the steepest grades of the final climb – the Rimolino – Simon rode away. He time trialled to the summit and down the fast, technical descent over the other side, while Georg marked moves behind him.
Simon had all the time in the world to zip up his jersey and raise his arms aloft to celebrate his second professional victory all the way down the final straight. A minute later, Georg flew into view and won the sprint for second. He celebrated Simon’s win like it was his own. Hugh rolled in with the GC contenders shortly thereafter to secure his second place in the overall competition. Alexander Cepeda was just behind him in fourth on GC.