“We did three very good stages and then fatigue set in" - INEOS fall from GC contention in disappointing end to Tour of the Alps

After starting the week so brightly with a stage win for Tobias Foss, INEOS Grenadiers collapsed out of GC contention at the Tour of the Alps on the final two stages.

“I feel quite tired,” Foss reflected to Wielerflits afterwards. “We did three very good stages and then fatigue set in. We were able to gain confidence, I think it was already looking good with the Giro coming up. It was just good preparation here. I was too tired to fully complete this race. That fatigue was there from the start, but it is what it is.”

With Foss and Geraint Thomas coming to the race as a two-pronged GC threat, eventual overall finishes of 31st and 13th weren't quite what was intended. Nevertheless, Foss isn't getting too down ahead of the upcoming Giro d'Italia. “You have to take into account that we came to this match with a lot of tiredness in our legs. The workload we have done over the past four weeks has also been quite intense," the Norwegian explains.

"Actually, things went even better than expected in the first stages, which may have brought greater expectations for the finale," Foss assesses. "But this was the most realistic outcome. We showed our colours. Everything we were able to take away from here was really just a bonus. We are on our way to a good Giro and that is the most important thing.”

“Thomas gave me a good impression. Last year I was surprised to see him competing for the top spots here, considering what he went through in the first months of the season. I'm not going to say that he is a million miles further than last year, but certainly further than then," adds sports director Zak Dempster optimistically. “He should have some confidence. G struck me as very focused last week, he is also very sharp, I think. He started his season well on track and is riding steadily. During efforts like this week, he can smooth off the rough edges.”