"I thought we would be pulled back" - Joel Suter admits surprise having held off the peloton to take victory on stage 2 of the Giro di Sicilia

Joel Suter took the victory in a thrilling finale of stage two of the 2023 Giro di Sicilia, holding off the peloton after having spent the full day in the breakaway. Something Suter admits took even him by surprise.

"It's great to win," the 24-year-old Tudor Pro Cycling Team rider said with a beaming smile in the immediate aftermath of his victory. “It was my goal, but halfway through the stage, I thought: it's going to be difficult. However, at the end of the race I felt really good, so I was able to finish it.”

Initially part of a six-man breakaway, Suter realised the catch was inevitable and decided to attack and go for the solo win. With the peloton approaching at full pace, the Swiss rider had just enough left in the tank to take a four seconds victory on the line.

"I knew some teams would chase because there were no other big teams up front. When we only had one minute left, I decided to go alone, because it wasn't going fast enough. I thought we would be taken back,” he explains. “I have no words for this. Every good result, every win is important to get better and better as a team,” the Tudor Pro Cycling Team rider concludes.