Luca Pacioni ninth in an eventful final stretch with Erik Fetter crashing out

42º Tour de Hongrie
Stage 3: Veszprém – Tata (142 km)

The uncertainty that comes from the confluence of an accumulation of dynamic circumstances that are somewhat uncontrollable means that any moment, whatever it may be, can be decisive in cycling. The big stage of this Tour de Hongrie arrives this Saturday and with a view to such an important day, many riders were facing these days with the tension of avoiding any problem and the support of their squads in that endeavour. Erik Fetter, at home, in front of his family, was one of them.

The young Hungarian rider of the EOLO-KOMETA Cycling Team was waiting for his field with a view to fight for a good classification. Five kilometres from the end of the third stage, a crash occurred that affected several riders. Fetter could do nothing to avoid it, he was knocked down by a bike already on the ground, and ended up in the ditch. Initially he was suffering from pain in his left hip, a worrying sight, but he was able to finish the stage. However, he lost a lot of time, 2′ 07″ at the finish line.

A lot of tension at the finish, many teams with an interest in the sprint once the breakaway of the day was caught in the last fifteen kilometres, many riders trying to be in front. That fight materialised in another crash a few kilometres further on, with the finish area in Tata very close. One rider went down well ahead in the peloton, also the leader, and that left only about fifteen riders ready to fight for the win. Among those riders was Luca Pacioni. The EOLO-KOMETA sprinter finished ninth in a fraction where the German Phil Bauhaus won again.

Luca Pacioni, ninth at the finish in Tatra: “I was able to save the crash by very little, but the group that stayed in front of us was very tight and it was impossible for me to face the volley in a more front position. A sprint that serves to reinforce our confidence, which is always important, in view of the last day in Budapest where we will fight for everything again”.

[   PhotoGomezSport]