Overall victory for Yates

Tour de Suisse: Gall finishes among the front runners

Felix Gall

(Bild: GEPA/GEPA pictures)

Professional cyclist Felix Gall finished tenth in the top field at the Tour de Suisse, but the East Tyrolean did not manage an exploit like his stage win last year. Eighth place on one of the mountain stages was his best result, and he finished 14th in the final mountain time trial.

With regard to the Tour de France, however, the result was satisfactory, said Gall. After all, he had prepared a little differently for the Tour of France this year. "I knew that I didn't have quite the same form as last year. We did a bit of a different preparation with a little more hours, but a little less intensity, simply with a view to the Tour, so that I'm in top shape there," explained Gall. The Decathlon captain doesn't want to be put off despite the lack of podium places once again: "I'm just missing that last percent so that I can really ride at the front, but I'm satisfied. The first few days I struggled with the intensity, but I felt better every day."

Overall winner Adam Yates
The overall classification went to Britain's Adam Yates, who dominated the race with his UAE team-mate Joao Almeida with double victories on the last four stages. The Portuguese Almeida won the 16 km mountain time trial from Aigle to Villars-sur-Ollon on the first anniversary after the death of Gino Mäder in a racing accident, nine seconds ahead of Yates. Last year's winner Mattias Skjelmose (DEN/Lidl-Trek) finished third, 21 seconds back. Gall lost a further two minutes on the final day and dropped one place, leaving last year's eighth-placed rider six and a half seconds behind Yates after eight stages.

"UAE is extremely difficult to crack, even if I was in top form here," said Gall. However, he was not the only one powerless against the UAE team, but also all the others such as Egan Bernal (Ineos). The duo Yates/Almeida will lead the enormously strong team of top favorite Tadej Pogacar's Emirates team at the Tour de France.

Fine-tuning for the Tour
Gall wants to put the finishing touches to his training for the Tour, which starts on June 29, with an altitude training camp in the French Maritime Alps, where the Tour will roll in the final week this time. In 2023, Gall won the queen stage of the Tour and, after further top places, finished eighth overall and second in the mountains classification. A top place in the overall standings is his declared goal this time too.