Mirepoix
144.5 km
Sunday 14 September
9th stage. Seix – Mirepoix (144,5 kilometres). Start at 11:48 AM. 60 riders at the start. Solo win for Vangaderen in the final stage of the event. Bakelants, in yellow for the past five days claims the 45th Tour de l’Avenir ahead of Rui Costa (POR) and Jeannesson (FRA).
As soon as kilometre 2, Gretsch and Bouet break away from the pack. The advantage grows to a maximum 1’05 at kilometre 14. But both men are caught back in the first climb up the Côte de Merigon (km 39,5). At the top the pack is bunched led by Gautier (FRA), Tarramae (EST) and Zingle (BEL). At kilometre 47, Gautier attacks. He breaks away and enjoys a 55’’ lead at kilometre 55. In the climb up the Côte de Pailhes, he keeps his advantage and makes it to the top with a 35’’ lead over Gastauer (LUX) and Modzelewski (POL) in the first positions of the pack.
In the downhill, Geschke (GER) takes off on a counter-attack, followed a few minutes later by Peterson (USA). At the top of the Côte de Pamiers, Gautier lead the way with a 20’’ advantage over Gezschke, 25’’ over Peterson and 50’’ over the pack. At the entry of the city of Pamiers, Geschke catches up with Gautier. At the exit of the feeding zone (km 85,5), both front riders have a 1’30 lead over the pack that has caught up with Peterson. The chase starts organising from then on and the pack moves closer at 1’ after 100 kilometres. At the first intermediate sprint line at Mirepoix (km 104), Gautier leads ahead of Geschke while Paterski grabs the final point in the first position of the pack at 45’’.
The gap then stabilises and the two escapees reach the second intermediate sprint at Aigues-Vives (km 115) with a 55’’ lead (in the following order: Gautier, Geschke, Paterski). With 20 kilometres to go, Vangaderen, Kreder, Caruso and Pirazzi break away from the main field and catch up with the leaders. The six riders keep a decent advantage over a pack led by the Polish team. Vangaderen then decides to take off on his own. He rapidly enjoys a 15’’ lead over his former companions. With one kilometre to go the pack catches up all but one rider. Vangaderen, on his own claims the stage victory. He beats Kreder who wins the bunched sprint by 12’’.
In the GC, Jan Bakelants (BEL) who had claimed the yellow jersey ever since his stage success at Carmaux, wins the 45th Tour de l’Avenir. Paterski wins the points’ standing while Jeannesson wins the mountain standing.
“It’s a magnificent victory in the biggest of the under-23 races. The best riders of the class were all present and I wasn’t part of the favourites. But I managed to change the hierarchy to win here. It wasn’t easy, far from that. I had to give all I had to hang on. So today I’m both relieved and happy, very happy…”