McDonald and Terrier in top 25 on final stage in Greece

Australian Bailey McDonald and neo-pro Lucas Terrier rounded off Team Novo Nordisk’s Tour of Hellas campaign in encouraging fashion, finishing just outside the top 20 in the anticipated bunch sprint as the race concluded in spectacular style in the heart of Athens.

The 146.5km final stage departed from the ancient port of Piraeus before finishing in front of the Greek Parliament at Syntagma Square, following a three-lap circuit through the centre of Athens.  Once again, the stage was aggressive from the flag, with numerous attacks trying to form the breakaway out of Piraeus before eight riders eventually slipped clear after 40km of racing.

Despite never building a significant advantage over the pursuing peloton, the escapees showed remarkable tenacity, holding on deep into the final lap before being swept up just in time for the sprint finish beneath the Acropolis.

“A very hard week here but nice to bounce back in some way from what was a very hard few opening days,” said McDonald. “Personally, I really wanted to jump inside the top 10 today but just lacked a little bit in the closing metres.”

The young Australian, who had been managing the effects of a stage one crash throughout the week, was nonetheless reflective and positive about his overall performance.

“On a personal level it’s nice to continue to see improvement,” he said. “Though not a result I’m satisfied with, I think it is still one of my best finishes in Europe thus far and to be able to build through a tour despite setbacks early on is also something I can be happy with — definitely a big improvement on last year and prior races where I found it hard to maintain my level in stage racing.”

Looking ahead with real optimism, McDonald signed off the week on an upbeat note. “A really tough week in Hellas so we can take away the positives and continue to build for what’s next,” he said. “The season is long and I can’t wait for what’s next — it feels like it’s getting closer.”