"I surprised myself a little" - Bart Lemmen launches himself into GC contention at the Tour Down Under with 5th placed finish on Willunga Hill
Cycling
On the first real general classification challenge at the 2024 Tour Down Under, it wasn't Milan Vader leading the Team Visma | Lease a Bike charge as expected, but instead Bart Lemmen.
"We controlled the day pretty well and kept Milan out of the wind," reflected Lemmen, who is beginning his first season at World Tour level and just his second season as a professional to the Visma website post-stage. "We started the second climb, Willunga Hill, in a good position. Despite some attacks, I managed to stay at the front. In the end, I didn't have enough speed in the sprint for a podium finish. I got boxed in, which slowed me down, but I can't complain about this great result.”
With the climb of Mount Lofty to come on stage 6, Lemmen's impressive Willunga Hill performance has launched him right into GC contention. Sixth overall, the Dutchman sits just 13 seconds behind overall leader, Stephen Williams.
"I've had a huge boost recently. The team has shown a lot of confidence in me. I feel their appreciation. This morning, I didn't think I could compete with the best climbers here. I am happy with the professionalism of Team Visma | Lease a Bike and my role in the team," Lemmen concluded. "I am so glad with this performance. I surprised myself a little. Now, I am looking forward to the final stage tomorrow. I hope to stay in the top ten. It's a stage that should suit Milan and me.”
🇦🇺 #TourDownUnder
— Team Visma | Lease a Bike (@vismaleaseabike) January 20, 2024
💬 "This morning, I didn't think I could compete with the best climbers here." - Bart Lemmen
Read more in our report! ✍🏼⤵️
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- “During a TT, I am basically blind”. That was his quote after crashing into the barriers in a TT. The problem isn’t the UCI, radios or air bags. The problem is the riders and their teams.JoeyB22-12-2024
- I think you overestimate scientific knowledge and for sure the spreading of it. There are huge numbers of people in similar situations, if there were an easy solution somebody would be making big money out of it. Nerve pain can have many complex origins or be due to complex combinations of reasons. Even if you discover a reason there is not always a solution. Migraines haven’t been solved either. I have had lower back/hip nerve pains on and off for over 30 years, no kind of doctor has ever found a way to reduce, prevent or solve the problem. It may just be that some people are born with nerves that are too short or get twisted out of position during certain movements.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- Amazing ride by her and very promising for her future. On a side note, it’s a bit worrying all these wins riders have after emotional moments in their lives, someone will come up with emotional doping at some point. Maybe give them fake news just before a big race to get hormones pumping.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- I doubt he will have the energy to do that if he continues to do leadout for Phillipsenabstractengineer22-12-2024
- I know several people who’ve tried contacting sport airbag manufacturers and none of them ever got a reply. Might be hard to organise anything with such attitudes.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- It's the BBC. Who cares outside of little Britain.leodis22-12-2024
- Crawl back under your stone.leodis22-12-2024
- Thanks Dadmobk22-12-2024
- Hard to believe with the advancment of modern medicine he can not find a cause for this.frieders321-12-2024
- You continue to platform these two cheats. With that in mind I can no longer use your site. I know my leaving means little, but, sometimes you have to take a stand. See ya!DJ21-12-2024