Victory for Felix Ritzinger on the 2nd stage the Tour of Hellas 2024 (UCI 2.1)

Felix Ritzinger won the 2nd stage of the 19th Tour of Hellas 2024 (UCI 2.1) over 169.8 kilometers from Katerini to Karditsa in a convincing manner today, celebrating his greatest success in a road race to date. The Felt Felbermayr professional cyclist also takes the lead in the overall ranking of the tour and will wear the leader's jersey tomorrow. “An incredible race today. I was almost gone on the climb, and then I had another chance to get into the breakaway group and it was enough. Today’s result with the stage win and the overall tour lead leaves me almost speechless,” said Felix Ritzinger.

Fotonachweis Tour of Hellas

Impressive race from Felix Ritzinger

Today's result of the 2nd stage of the 19th Tour of Hellas is a very special one for the Felt Felbermayr team: After numerous 2nd places in UCI tours and one-day races, today they finally achieved their first victory in a road race. And in an extremely impressive manner. After Felix Ritzinger struggled hard on the difficult climb to Livadi shortly after the start, the 27-year-old Viennese found the connection again. Around 50 kilometers before the finish, he broke away from the peloton to catch up with the two leaders at the time.

After the merger, it was mainly the Felt Felbermayr professional cyclist who consistently kept up the pace in order to take advantage of the chance for the leader's jersey. The lead of Ritzinger and his two escape companions - the Italian Samuele Zoccarato (VF Group - Bardiani CSF - Faizane) and the Pole Konrad Czabok (Team Mazowsze Serce Polski) - was almost 2 minutes before the peloton increased the pace to catch up with the leaders . But the field was too divided and the leaders too determined, and so the three outliers sprinted to the finish. With a strong start, Ritzinger left no doubt that he would take victory today. After 3:53:42 hours he celebrated a much celebrated victory ahead of Zoccarato and Czabok, the peloton crossed the finish line 25 seconds behind.

Overall leadership in the tour

With today's victory, Ritzinger also takes the lead in the overall standings, 22 seconds ahead of the Portuguese Iuri Letaho from Continental ProTeam Caja Rural - Seguros RGA and 30 seconds ahead of the New Zealander Aaron Gate (Team Burgos - BH). With Josef Dirnbauer in 11th place and Riccardo Zoidl in 15th place, two other Wels drivers are in promising positions. The Felt Felbermayr Wels team is also in the lead in the team ranking. Tomorrow the royal stage of the tour awaits with a mountain finish in Karpenissi. “We will think about the optimal tactics for the mountain stage tomorrow and have two top mountain riders in our ranks. Today’s result obviously gives us a lot of self-confidence,” said racing director Paul Renger, who looks after the team in Greece.

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