International Tour of Hellas

A hot and hilly opening stage of the International Hellas Tour traversed the ancient Island of Crete from the capital Heraklion to the picturesque port of Chania where a technical finish awaited on the seafront.

Italian sprinter Andrea Peron and Spanish climber David Lozano produced a good showing for Team Novo Nordisk, forming part of an elite reduced group that formed over the climbs and tried in vain to chase down the remnants of the breakaway.

David Lozano:

“I felt a lot better today than in Turkey that’s for sure. It was hot, straight onto a climb and the pace was high from the start, but we did a good job today. The guys supported me and Andrea really well and to be honest everyone in our group thought the breakaway was already caught.”

“We hit 2,900m elevation in 179km and the group of four guys were really moving out front. Andrea and I were in the reduced favorites group and we collaborated well together. When we hit the descent to the finish, it was technical and we thought we would be fighting for the stage result, so to find out at the finish that one guy remained and he won…was a bit deflating. But we’re in good shape and we go again tomorrow.”

Sports Director Gennady Mikhaylov:

“That was a good start from us today. The guys followed instructions and worked hard with both Andrea and David right up there with the favorites group.

“The race was split very early because we were straight onto the climbs and I was surprised that one guy from the break managed to stay out front, but that’s the race today and we showed good signs. So that’s what we will carry forward into tomorrow’s stage two.”

Whether it was the history of the ancient terrain that lays beneath the roads, or the mythical energy that surrounds the coast bellow the stunning hills of Delphi and the ruins of the famous Oracle that once dwelled there. Sought out by heroes to foretell of great deeds yet to come. But one things for sure, the modern day heroes of Team Novo Nordisk soak up the energy and go well racing on Greek roads. Italian sprinter Andrea Peron taking his and the teams second podium of the season with strong second place in the sprint on stage two of the International Tour of Hellas.

A fiery stage unfolded over the rolling hills out of Athens as two or three different breakaway groups formed before the race came back together on the long descent to the coast and the finish in Itrea. Former Hungarian champion Peter Kusztor produced a strong lead out for Peron and the Padovan did the rest. 

Andrea Peron (ITA):

“That’s the second time I’ve come within a wheel length of a win this year and both times it’s happened at a Greek race! We’re getting closer that’s for sure and like my wife says, I’m like a lion that smells blood, I get stronger as I get closer and I really hope we keep working like this because if we do then that win is coming.”

“Of course I’m happy to get second place today, it’s another step closer and the guys all worked so hard for me today. We all finished so close together and showed great teamwork. Peter I take my hat off to, because he popped up next to me after the descent and took me into the last km at the front. That was key to the result today and if we didn’t show what’s possible with diabetes today…then I don’t know when we will.”

Sports director Gennady Mikhaylov:

“Fantastic work by the whole team today. They worked very well together and aside form the result, it made me happy to see them all finish close to each other as a team and as a unit.”

“There’s no doubt Andrea is getting closer, his results so far this year tell their own story and today he was within a whisker of the win. Peter emptied himself to get Andrea in position after the descent and showed all his experience in choosing the right moment to take Andrea forward. The guys are real heroes in every race we take part in, but today they took up the reigns and became protagonists on a tough stage and achieved a fantastic result.”

Knowing something may happen and being in a position to prevent it is often not as simple as it sounds. That much can be said for the third stage of the International Tour of Hellas as a group of 17 riders attacked on the final climb and held off the chasing pack to contest the result.

Team Novo Nordisk led the chase alongside Trek Segafredo and Bornholm, and despite their combined efforts the stage had gone with the world’s first all diabetes professional cycling team looking ahead to tomorrow’s stage four.

Peter Kusztor:

“We were straight onto a climb again today and the peloton split almost straight away, but it came back together again on the descent and from there it was calm until the final climb, and then it exploded.”

“There were two guys already out front when the attacks came, 15 guys went and formed the selection and that was it. We pulled and we weren’t the only ones, but they held onto around 50seconds all the way to the line. I don’t know what more we could have done today, we emptied the tank in the chase, but the group was strong and chapeau to them.”

Sports Director Gennady Mikhaylov:

“Well, as it so often happens you go from the highs to the lows in the blink of an eye. Especially in a cycling stage race because each day can be different to the next and you really need to be prepared for everything. Of course, that’s easier said than done and today ended up being a day where a few teams were caught out.”

“We had ridden solidly up until the last climb and even though Peter and David were close to the front, the attacks came sharp, and they came fast so we had no choice but to chase. It didn’t happen today and tomorrow looks all set for a sprint finale so we must be switched on and focused on working for Andrea.”

Someone once said that cycling is a team sport and even though the results table only shows the individual, the whole team make that result possible and Team Novo Nordisk showed that in spades today as Andrea Peron’s teammates carved a way through the carnage to set the Italian up for fourth place in the sprint at the International Tour of Hellas.

Andrea Peron:

“My legs are feeling it a little today, but thanks to the amazing work of the team today I was able to have a chance again in the sprint and we came very close to another podium.  A hairs width in the end and fourth is a little bit disappointing but the reality is that it’s another positive result, another top ten and there’s a great buzz within the team at the moment, that I’m loving.”

“Sam, David and Lucas were all working for me throughout the last 20km to keep me in a good position and then Joonas and Peter took over in that last 5km and it was Peter again who produced that vital final lead out into the last km. Fortunately the big crash occurred behind me, and the rest of the guys managed to avoid It too.”

Sports Director Gennady Mikhaylov:

“So close again today, it really is so close we feel like we can almost touch it. If we keep working together like we did today, then I’m sure that a victory is coming. All the guys worked almost perfectly. We followed the complexion of the race nicely and worked when we needed too, particularly at the end when everyone came together for Andrea.”

“Peter has been reborn as a lead out man here at the Tour of Hellas and his experience, knowhow and bike handling have been very useful in the closing kilometers here in Greece. One more stage to go and it’s going to be very tough, 3,000m of climbing in 156km, so we will try our best see how the day plays out.”

Photo credit: Tour of Hellas

Spanish climber David Lozano went deep on the mountainous final stage of the International Tour of Hellas to finish in the top 20 and climb up to 13th overall.

A great week of racing saw a fantastic team performance from Team Novo Nordisk that included a second and fourth place for Italian sprinter Andrea Peron, veteran climber Peter Kusztor turning into a late-career lead-out man and the final performance of Lozano wrapping the race up nicely.

David Lozano:

“It was a really hard day today, I know always say that about the Queen stage but all you have to do is look at the profile today to see how hard it was. We were straight onto the climb again and it split almost immediately. There were a four or five guys ahead of us in the breakaway but I made I it into the favorites group and stayed there.”

“I rode my own tempo even when the attacks came and felt pretty good even though weather started to play a part too, the organizers neutralized the race on the long descent and we had maybe half an hours wait before we got going again and then it was full gas.”

“We caught the break at the front and all was going well until I had a mechanical and then a bike change and had to chase for 5 or 6km to make it back in, but I made it just before the finish. That energy took away any chance of a higher finish, but we’ve still had a great week and the moral has been great here.”

Sports Director Gennady Mikhaylov:

“Really good effort from David today and I’m pleased to see him come through such a tough stage like this with a good result and he even moved up to eight places on GC. He wasn’t looking forward to the stage, but he put that to bed as soon as we started and rode very well.”

“All the guys did a good job this week. We showed great teamwork and positivity every stage and the way we kept pushing for a result after Andrea’s second place on stage two was great to see.”