Sydneysider Michael Storer has delivered a superb solo stage triumph in the falling snow at one of cycling’s great races, Paris-Nice – with a little help from a superstar of the sport.
Storer, a former King of the Mountains at the Vuelta a Espana, once again reminded everyone of his calibre as he rode away from a breakaway, soloing the last 2.5km on a brutal Saturday to cross the line first 20 seconds clear of the field at Auron amid the wet snowfall in the Southern Alps of France.
The first person the 28-year-old wanted to thank for the win was his superstar Tudor Pro teammate, Frenchman Julian Alaphilippe, the two-time world road race champ, who acted as the Aussie’s “super domestique” for the day.
“That was great. Julian knows racing like nobody else and he was really precious,” Storer said.
“It doesn’t happen often that a two-time world champion rides for you. That was super motivating.”
He reckoned there was only one problem.
“If only it hadn’t been so cold!” protested the shivering Aussie, recognising the irony that he’s competing in what’s known as cycling’s week-long “Race to the Sun”.
But it’s a victory that’s propelled Storer to fourth place from 13th in the general classification going into Sunday’s bumpy final stage in the hills around Nice on the Riviera, with the tantalising prospect of a podium finish still looming.
Storer is 2min 25sec behind American race leader Matteo Jorgenson (Team Visma-Lease a Bike), 1:48 behind German Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) and 1:05 adrift of Dutchman Thymen Arensman (INEOS Grenadiers).
Storer reckoned he owed Alaphilippe for his efforts after the French star had bridged across to help him in the 12-man breakaway on a day when the cold weather was once again taking its toll.
“He was the most important rider for the team today. I’m happy I was good enough to finish it off,” said Storer, after pulling away on the steep final ascent to grab victory at the 1600m altitude finish line for the seventh win of his career.
“It’s really great to win again. It was very cold, but I had a really good day,” Storer said after outpacing his nearest challenger, Swiss Mauro Schmid, who rides for Australian team Jayco AlUla.
It’s been a trying week at Paris-Nice, with riders left struggling in the appalling weather. Fourteen more pulled out before or during Saturday’s miserable slog.
Storer is in his second year at the ambitious Swiss team, Tudor Pro, for whom he enjoyed a top-10 finish at last year’s Giro d’Italia, with Alaphilippe giving the outfit more star power when he joined over the winter.
In the week’s other big European cycling race, Tirreno-Adriatico, in Italy on Saturday, there was another impressive Australian performance.
Former Giro champ Jai Hindley finished third for Red Bull Bora-hansgrohe on the penultimate stage, won by Spain’s Juan Ayuso, the overall leader.
It left the Perth rider fifth in the overall standings going into Sunday’s final stage.
https://thewest.com.au/sport/cycling/aussie-storer-wins-in-the-snow-in-the-race-to-the-sun-c-18055160
