Michael Storer has taken an incredible GC win at the 2025
Tour of the Alps with a long-range raid on the final stage, overturning an 11-second deficit to
Thymen Arensman and ensuring the
Tudor Pro Cycling Team leader heads to the upcoming Giro d'Italia in race-winning form. Storer didn't take the stage win on the final day; that honour went to
Nicolas Prodhomme in a Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale one-two ahead of
Paul Seixas.
A big break of 15 went clear on the early climb of the day. Among the most notable names involved in the attack were Lennard Kamna (Lidl-Trek), King of the Mountains leader Finlay Pickering (Bahrain - Victorious), Koen Bouwman (Team Jayco AlUla), Jakob Fuglsang (Israel - Premier Tech), Mattia Bais (Team Polti VisitMalta) and best placed on GC at just 9:49 down, Paul Seixas (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team).
With around 35km to go, the Tudor Pro Cycling Team exploded the GC group as Florian Stork set a monster pace in an uphill leadout for Michael Storer. Thymen Arensman was initially able to follow, but when the Aussie moved off his teammate's wheel and onto the attack himself, Arensman was blown away, much like the rest of the race had been already.
After having dropped Arensman by the top of the climb, Storer linked up with teammate Lucas Eriksson on the road towards the final climb of the day after the Swede waited up slightly having been in the early break. Speaking of the break, eight riders remained and they still held a lead of 2:56 over Storer heading into the last 20km. Arensman meanwhile was around 30 seconds down on Storer at the same point and with 11 seconds separating the pair in the GC at the start of the day, the Dutchman wasn't quite out of the running just yet.
Thanks to Eriksson's work however, by the time the final climb began, Storer's advantage on the road had been extended over Arensman to closer to a minute. At the head of the race, 18-year-old Seixas was looking for his biggest win to date, attacking his breakaway companions. Before the top of the climb, Seixas' Decathlon teammate Nicolas Prodhomme has joined him.
By the top of the final climb, still around a minute separated Storer and Arensman, meaning the Aussie's GC win was all but secured, provided he could safely navigate the descent to the line. With Decathlon having the stage win secured, the only question was, would it be Seixas or Prodhomme that was given the honours? In the end, it was Prodhomme that got the nod for his first pro win.