Photo: AFP / Scanpix / LETA
Gints Narogs, “Latvijas Avīze”, JSC “Latvijas Mediji”
Krist Neilands was close to winning the fourth stage of the Tour de France, but the Latvian cyclist was seven kilometers short until he was sensational.
Neiland, the debutant of the “Tour” team representing the Israel Start Up-Nation team, was among six refugees who ran away from the pocket shortly after the start of the 160-kilometer section.
The majority exceeded three minutes, but the refugees were not sent too far, because among them was the Frenchman Alexis Wilermoz, who took a fairly high place in the overall standings.
Fearing that Wilermoz could take the lead in the overall standings, the drivers of the Deceuninck-Quickstep team were active in the pocket, rapidly reducing the gap in the end.
Neilands did not give up and before the last ascent also escaped from the refugee group, becoming the only leader at that time. Unfortunately, no matter how hard the Latvian tried, seven kilometers before the finish, when the first category mountain started, he was reached.
Although the names of Neiland and Latvia were well-heard all over the world of cycling at this stage, Christ did not hide his regret after the finish, because this was really a great opportunity to win.
“I went to the beginning from the very beginning – in the first kilometer. We had planned it with the team, we hoped that at this stage there would be a chance to “steal” the victory with a quick escape. It is very good that my teammate Nils Polits was among the refugees, because the plan was to keep as much freshness as possible until the end of the retreat, ”the strategy was later explained by Neiland, who received the award for best fighter of this stage.
“The problem was that the peleton didn’t allow us to gain enough advantage to hold it to the end. Before the last mountain, I told myself that I had to go on the attack and try to break away, even if I didn’t win in the end. After all, I didn’t use my energy all day to just give up.
I ran away from the others, gave up all my strength, but failed.
Of course, it is gratifying that for four hours the whole world could watch that two riders of the “Israel” unit were in command. Everyone on the team is happy, but I don’t want to put up with it because I’m determined to win one of the stages. “
Neilands finished the fourth stage in 86th place immediately after his compatriot Toma Skujiņa from the “Trek-Segafredo” team. Latvians lost 11:39 minutes to Slovenian Primožs Rogličs (former world junior ski jumping champion!). In the overall standings, the Frenchman Zillien Alafilip is in the lead, Neilands is 71st (+18: 56), and Skujins is 77th (+22: 13).
So far, only Pyotr Ugrjumov, who was twice the best in an individual ride in 1994, has managed to win one of the stages of the Tour de France among Latvian cyclists.
