Today proved to be a hot day in the saddle for the boys in blue, with the mercury pushing well past 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The 170km stage from Punto to Mirador del Potrero was the first of the week to culminate in a mountain top finish.
Entering the day, “the plan was to defend and possibly improve the overall general classification standing of Marc de Maar” according to sporting director Roberto Damiani. An early break away of five riders kept their distance, with a maximum gap of less than 5 minutes at one point, only to be ultimately swept into the group at the bottom of the final climb.
Lucas Euser and team freshman, Isaac Bolivar (2013 Colombian U23 TT Champion) entered the final climb in the group pushing an attack at 3km out. “Bolivar is young and strong, and we are all eager to see what he can do,” Damiani commented. Ultimately Bolivar and Euser finished the stage 13th and 14th respectively both 11 seconds off the pace of the leader. “The boys in blue are proving we came to the Tour of San Luis to race,” Euser emphasized after the stage.
The plan of the day came into focus as de Maar finished the stage only 30 seconds behind Philip Gaimon (Garmin Sharp) the overall leader, landing him in second place overall. Commenting on the day de Maar noted, “it was a long day of struggling in the saddle for me, but I survived. The boys did awesome today.”
The sweltering Argentinian heat, along with the first mountain top finish of the race gave the team an opportunity to work together and improve standings, pushing the team into first overall on the Team General Classification. When asked, Damiani attributed this to the team spirit and physical conditioning, noting, “de Maar was able to defend his position with his legs and his heart because of the support of his teammates.”