Australian Michael Storer has continued his excellent start to the European cycling season as he protected his lead in the Tour of the Alps and homed in on the biggest triumph of his career.
But while the Tudor Pro Cycling ace held on to his 41-second lead in the five-day tour in Austria and Italy after a tough third stage on Wednesday, another Australian star Jai Hindley still looked a threat to his compatriot in fourth place.
Storer had made his mark in Tuesday’s mountainous second stage, soloing into Mezzolombardo after attacking 11km from home on the final climb and opening up his unexpected big lead over the field.
That had been 28-year-old Storer’s second striking stage victory of the season following his triumph from the breakaway in the snow on the penultimate stage of Paris-Nice in March.
On Wednesday in Italy, Storer, again looking in the form of his life this season after enjoying a couple of Grand Tour stage wins at the Vuelta a Espana four years ago, was happy to defend his lead.
He came home safely with the pursuing peloton on the 145.5km route between Sterzing and Innichen as home favourite Marco Frigo (Israel-Premier Tech) grabbed victory by 19 seconds, with Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe’s Hindley grabbing a six-second bonus by leading home the pursuers in second in a sprint finish.
Thursday’s fourth stage could prove decisive, another mountainous trek over 162.7km in Austria from Sillian to Obertilliach, but the undemonstrative Storer sounds quietly confident as he looks forward to the final two legs of the tour.
“When you’re the strongest, you can just ride away like I did today,” he had declared on Tuesday.
“That feeling doesn’t come often. I’ve only felt it on the days I’ve won before. When you feel like that, you’re capable of a lot. I’m also stronger than last year, and that’s really thanks to Tudor, who stand behind me and give me the support and belief I’ve been missing the last few years.”
Hindley, the 2022 Giro d’Italia winner, is now within 45 seconds of Storer’s lead in fourth place, while second-placed Italian Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) and third-placed Frenchman Paul Seixas (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale) are both 41 seconds behind.
