Team Polti Kometa concludes the Tour of Slovakia with Double 5th in stage and Garosio 10th overall

After top-10 finishes and breakaways in previous days, Team Polti Kometa concludes the Tour of Slovakia on a high note with a strong performance in the last stage. In the early rolling terrain, Erik Fetter broke away with Azparren (Q36.5) covering sixty kilometers in the wind. Then, on the triple final ascent, once the leading duo was caught, the entire team held their ground against the top teams, aiming to reach the base of the final climb with a good number of riders and in the best condition.

Both Paul Double and Germán Gómez stayed with the leaders until, with 3 km to go on the final uphill, the English climber responded attack by attack to Alaphilippe (points leader) and Schmid (race leader), finishing 5th at the line while the young Colombian crossed the line in 15th place. A team satisfaction crowned by Andrea Garosio’s 10th in the general classification.

Double: “I did my best to achieve the best possible result. The slopes weren’t challenging enough to highlight my strengths, but I managed to stay on the wheels of the main riders and have no regrets.”

Sports director Biagio Conte: “We are really happy, the guys moved perfectly from the start with Fetter’s breakaway. Soudal Quick-Step didn’t give space because they wanted to target Schmid, but at that point we grouped up very well and, in the end, we return home with four men in the top 25 overall (in addition to Garosio, we have Double 14th, Martín 19th, and Gomez 22nd) a deserved reward for our way of racing.”