“Hopefully head to the Tour” - Chris Harper sends timely Tour de France signal after monster turn helps Tom Pidcock win in Andorra

Chris Harper left the Andorra MoraBanc Classica with his own Tour de France preparation moving in the right direction after playing a major role in Tom Pidcock’s victory on Coll de la Botella.

The Australian was one of the strongest riders on the final climb, where Pidcock eventually beat Carlos Verona to victory after surviving a late attack from Sepp Kuss. Before the final sprint, Harper had already helped shape the race with a powerful turn that reduced the front group and placed Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team in control of the finale.

“I think we had a good day as a team,” Harper said afterwards in a Pinarello Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team press release. “We executed our plan pretty perfectly. We took control of the race and set our pace the whole day.”

That plan gave Pidcock the platform he needed on a 125km route packed with more than 4,000 metres of climbing. Mark Donovan and Damien Howson had worked earlier for Q36.5 before Harper took over on the final ascent, where several of the pre-race contenders began to lose contact.

Julien Bernard had tried to anticipate the favourites before Coll de la Botella, but Q36.5 gradually brought the race back towards Pidcock’s preferred scenario. Harper then briefly went clear himself, reaching the front of the race before the decisive group formed behind.

Pidcock, Kuss, Verona, Simon Carr and Ben Tulett were all involved as the finale tightened, but Harper’s presence gave Q36.5 a valuable extra card deep into the race. When Kuss attacked inside the final kilometres, Harper was central to the chase as Pidcock worked his way back into contention.

Verona launched the last move near the line, but Pidcock followed immediately and had the stronger finish, sealing the win after a day in which Q36.5 had controlled the key phases of the race.

For Harper, the performance also came at a useful point in his own summer. After racing the Giro d’Italia, he had spent time at altitude in Sierra Nevada before returning to Andorra, where his ride on the final climb offered a clear sign of condition.

“I felt quite good myself from early on in the race,” he said. “Coming back to Andorra after being up in Sierra Nevada for a bit after the Giro, I'm happy with how I'm feeling. I'll do the last bit of preparation at home now and then hopefully head to the Tour.”

Pidcock’s victory gave Q36.5 the headline result after his own disrupted build-up, but Harper’s ride added another encouraging note before July. On a climb where major names were distanced before the final selection, the Australian did not just survive deep into the finale. He helped create the winning position, helped bring Kuss back into range, and left Andorra with one last block of preparation between him and a possible Tour de France start.