An eventful stage brings the Tour of Bulgaria to a close

Matyas Kopecky lead the team home on the final stage of the Tour of Bulgaria, finishing 15th on the hilly final stage. The 19-year-old says he is happy to get another stage race in the legs as he continues to gain experience in the pro ranks.

Matyas Kopecky (CZE):

“There was a crash three kilometers into the race today. I avoided it but got hit from the back and my handlebars went into my legs. My muscles were stiff for the rest of the race but got better and better. The race had a couple of restarts after that due to missing some junctions. In the end, the race came down to power when the climbs started.” 

“Hamish [Beadle] and I were in the front all day, riding really well as a team and saved a lot of energy. When the attacks started on the penultimate climb, I had to drop the pace and settled into a group and finished fifteenth. I didn’t quite have the legs I had from the previous stages but it’s good to get another stage race in the legs. I’ve done a lot of stage races this year and it seems I recover quite welll over multiple days so it feels good to have done another race with the team.” 

Head sports director Massimo Podenzana:

“We can be proud of what we’ve achieved here. We had a young group at the race so it was all about chasing our daily goals and then discussing in the team meeting afterwards how we did. This process helps the riders develop tactically. We leave the race with a podium on the first day, a day in the white young rider’s jersey and a number of top 10s. We have a one day break now before starting the two-day race In the Footsteps of the Romans so we will look to take this momentum in that race.”