Tour de Luxembourg 2021 – Stage 5 [FULL STAGE]

September 18, 2021

Tour de Luxembourg 2021 – Stage 5 – Mersch – Luxembourg-City : 183,7 km

The race has since joined the UCI ProSeries calendar however, and in doing so has been moved to a mid-september slot, changing it from a warm-up event to a last-ditch attempt for many riders to secure a contract for the following season. The race may take place in one of Europe’s smallest nations, but that doesn’t stop it from seeking out enough unique terrain for five action-packed stages. A lot of these stages crosscut each other, creating a route map that looks remarkably similar to a spider’s web. The five-day event typically begins with a short prologue before sending the riders on four undulating stages around the country, with the fifth and final stage often taking place on a lumpy circuit around the capital, Luxembourg City. It’s this final stage that often decides the general classification, with the stage winner often taking the overall victory thanks to the bountiful supply of bonus seconds on offer at the finish line.

João Almeida (Deceuninck-QuickStep) sealed overall victory at the Skoda Tour de Luxembourg after he took second place on the fifth and final stage behind David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ).

After a hilly opening, a reduced peloton tackled two laps of a rolling finishing circuit around Luxembourg City, and Almeida had ample support from his Deceuninck-QuickStep squad in the finale.

Although Marc Hirschi (UAE Team Emirates) picked up three bonus seconds by winning the intermediate sprint with one lap to go, the Swiss rider was never likely to threaten Almeida’s yellow jersey.

The pace-making of Almeida’s teammates Mauri Vansevenant and Pieter Serry helped to keep the front group together in the finale, where the attack of Sebastien Reichenbach (Groupama-FDJ) with 8.5km to go was one of the few to gain any traction.

Reichenbach established a lead of 7 seconds at one point, but his effort was doomed once UAE Team Emirates joined the chase behind, with Davide Formolo reeling him in with 5.5km remaining.

The road ramped up inside the final 2km, and this was where Nairo Quintana (Arkea-Samsic) played his hand with a stinging effort in the company of Oier Lazkano (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA). They opened a small gap as the group splintered behind them, but it was Almeida himself who led the chase and pinned them back.

Nearer the top of the climb, Benoit Cosnefroy (AG2R-Citroën) unleashed a fearsome attack that only Almeida and Hirschi could follow. This trio crested the summit and entered the final kilometre seemingly with a winning gap, but a moment’s hesitation allowed the fragmented chasers to latch back on.

Gaudu, meanwhile, sensed an opportunity. Mindful of his limitations in the sprint, the Frenchman launched a canny, determined attack with 800m to go, immediately opening up an advantage over the chasers.

In the finishing straight, Almeida made another rasping effort and launched his sprint from considerable distance but he had to settle for second place on the day, just ahead of Pierre Latour (AG2R Citroën), Hirschi and Cosnefroy.

Almeida had the considerable consolation of securing final overall victory in the race, 46 seconds clear of Hirschi and 1:05 up on his teammate Mattia Cattaneo.

Already winner of the opening stage, Almeida returned to the yellow jersey thanks to his display in Friday’s individual time trial, and the Portuguese rider carried a commanding 43-lead over Hirschi into Saturday’s finale.

Almeida overall lead was never troubled on Saturday and he had a strong cadre of blue jerseys around him after the day’s early break was swept up on the first of two laps of the 11km finishing circuit.

There were plenty of lofty names in the group, including Quintana, Vincenzo Nibali (Trek-Segafredo) and Esteban Chaves (Team BikeExchange), but the pyrotechnics never quite materialised, thanks in no small part to Deceuninck-QuickStep’s ability to control affairs from the front.

Hirschi had conceded beforehand that it would be difficult to dislodge Almeida, who will join him at UAE Team Emirates next year, and the Swiss rider’s focus was on trying to claim stage victory and ensure his place on the final podium. He duly picked up three bonus seconds at the bell lap and he tracked Cosnefroy and Almeida at the top of the final climb, but the day would belong to Gaudu.

“It was certainly a very difficult finale,” said Gaudu. “I knew I wasn’t the strongest on the final climb and that if I was going to win, I was going to have to escape in the final kilometre. That’s what I did, I countered. I could see the yellow jersey coming back because he launched his sprint from a long way out, but I did the maximum.”

Results :
1 David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 4:30:59
2 João Almeida (Por) Deceuninck-QuickStep
3 Pierre Latour (Fra) TotalEnergies
4 Marc Hirschi (Swi) UAE Team Emirates
5 Benoit Cosnefroy (Fra) AG2R Citroën Team
6 Alex Kirsch (Lux) Trek-Segafredo
7 Fausto Masnada (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep
8 Clément Champoussin (Fra) AG2R Citroën Team
9 Jesus Herrada (Spa) Cofidis
10 Oier Lazkano Lopez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
11 Nairo Quintana (Col) Team Arkea-Samsic
12 Jack Bauer (NZl) Team BikeExchange
13 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
14 Franck Bonnamour (Fra) B&B Hotels p/b KTM 0:00:11
15 Markus Hoelgaard (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
16 Delio Fernandez Cruz (Spa) Delko
17 Attila Valter (Hun) Groupama-FDJ
18 Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep
19 Fernando Barceló Aragon (Spa) Cofidis
20 Kobe Goossens (Bel) Lotto Soudal
21 Fabio Van Den Bossche (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
22 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
23 David de la Cruz (Spa) UAE Team Emirates
24 Davide Formolo (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
25 Elie Gesbert (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic 0:00:16
26 Kenneth Van Rooy (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:00:27
27 Luc Wirtgen (Lux) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB
28 Jonathan Lastra Martinez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
29 Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Trek-Segafredo
30 Jan Maas (Ned) Leopard Pro Cycling
31 Sebastian Schönberger (Aut) B&B Hotels p/b KTM
32 Torstein Træen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
33 Petr Vakoc (Cze) Alpecin-Fenix
34 Jetse Bol (Ned) Burgos-BH
35 Cyril Barthe (Fra) B&B Hotels p/b KTM 0:00:30
36 Aaron Van Poucke (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:00:51
37 Nathan Brown (USA) Rally Cycling 0:00:54
38 Jonathan Hivert (Fra) B&B Hotels p/b KTM 0:00:56
39 Tom Wirtgen (Lux) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB 0:00:57
40 Juan Ayuso Pesquera (Spa) Team Colpack Ballan 0:01:19
41 Jose Herrada (Spa) Cofidis
42 Sam Gaze (NZl) Alpecin-Fenix 0:01:23
43 Andrea Vendrame (Ita) AG2R Citroën Team 0:01:51
44 Eduard Prades Reverter (Spa) Delko
45 Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek-Segafredo
46 Sébastien Reichenbach (Swi) Groupama-FDJ
47 Julian Mertens (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
48 Kevin Colleoni (Ita) Team BikeExchange
49 Esteban Chaves Rubio (Col) Team BikeExchange
50 Mattias Skjelmose (Den) Trek-Segafredo 0:02:21
51 Ben King (USA) Rally Cycling
52 Angel Fuentes Paniego (Spa) Burgos-BH
53 Pieter Serry (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:02:43
54 Mauri Vansevenant (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:02:45
55 Dayer Quintana (Col) Team Arkea-Samsic 0:02:59
56 Philipp Walsleben (Ger) Alpecin-Fenix 0:03:09
57 Anthony Perez (Fra) Cofidis 0:03:25
58 Ben O’Connor (Aus) AG2R Citroën Team 0:05:54
59 Jacques Lebreton (Fra) Cofidis
60 Dimitri Peyskens (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB
61 Marlon Gaillard (Fra) TotalEnergies
62 Remy Mertz (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB
63 Cristian Camilo Muñoz Lancheros (Col) UAE Team Emirates
64 Natnael Berhane (Eri) Cofidis
65 Callum Scotson (Aus) Team BikeExchange
66 Tanel Kangert (Est) Team BikeExchange
67 Dries Devenyns (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep
68 Morten Hulgaard (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
69 Jhojan Garcia Susa (Col) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
70 Cédric Pries (Lux) Leopard Pro Cycling 0:07:26
71 Dries Van Gestel (Bel) TotalEnergies
72 Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
73 Romain Hardy (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
74 Kevin Ledanois (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
75 Jacob Hindsgaul Madsen (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team
76 August Jensen (Nor) Delko
77 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) TotalEnergies
78 Emerson Oronte (USA) Rally Cycling
79 Otto Vergaerde (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix
80 Harry Sweeny (Aus) Lotto Soudal
81 Kenny Molly (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB 0:08:01
82 Etienne van Empel (Ned) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM 0:08:28
83 Kamil Gradek (Pol) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
84 Adam De Vos (Can) Rally Cycling
85 Manuel Peñalver Aniorte (Spa) Burgos-BH
86 Roberto González (Pan) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
87 Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal
88 Cedric Beullens (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
89 Miguel Heidemann (Ger) Leopard Pro Cycling
90 Frederik Frison (Bel) Lotto Soudal
91 Anthon Charmig (Den) Uno-X Dare Development Team
92 Orluis Alberto Aular Sanabria (Ven) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA
93 Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) TotalEnergies
94 Santiago Mesa Pietralunga (Col) Burgos-BH
95 Laurent Pichon (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic
96 Brent Bookwalter (USA) Team BikeExchange
97 Juan Antonio Lopez Cozard
98 Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R Citroën Team
99 Bob Jungels (Lux) AG2R Citroën Team
100 Anthony Turgis (Fra) TotalEnergies 0:08:46
102 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Alpecin-Fenix 0:09:35
103 Jarno Mobach (Ned) Leopard Pro Cycling 0:15:32
104 Riccardo Stacchiotti (Ita) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM 0:16:55
DNF Roger Kluge (Ger) Lotto Soudal
DNF Julien Trarieux (Fra) Delko
DNF Arvid de Kleijn (Ned) Rally Cycling
DNF Leonardo Tortomasi (Ita) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
DNF Arne Marit (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise
DNF Bryan Coquard (Fra) B&B Hotels p/b KTM
DNF Lubomír Petrus (Cze) Alpecin-Fenix
DNF Tim Torn Teutenberg (Ger) Leopard Pro Cycling
DNF Jakub Mareczko (Ita) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM
DNF Evaldas Siskevicius (Ltu) Delko
DNF Pierre Rolland (Fra) B&B Hotels p/b KTM
DNF Bruno Armirail (Fra) Groupama-FDJ
DNF Valerio Conti (Ita) UAE Team Emirates
DNS Arthur Kluckers (Lux) Leopard Pro Cycling
DNS Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo
DNS Eduard Michael Grosu (Rou) Delko

Final General Classification :
1 João Almeida (Por) Deceuninck-QuickStep 17:20:44
2 Marc Hirschi (Swi) UAE Team Emirates 0:00:46
3 Mattia Cattaneo (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:01:05
4 David de la Cruz (Spa) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:09
5 Pierre Latour (Fra) TotalEnergies
6 David Gaudu (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:17
7 Thibaut Pinot (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 0:01:27
8 Jesus Herrada (Spa) Cofidis 0:01:43
9 Vincenzo Nibali (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:01:49
10 Davide Formolo (Ita) UAE Team Emirates 0:01:53
11 Nairo Quintana (Col) Team Arkea-Samsic 0:01:56
12 Clément Champoussin (Fra) AG2R Citroën Team 0:01:57
13 Fausto Masnada (Ita) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:02:03
14 Kobe Goossens (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:02:11
15 Oier Lazkano Lopez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:02:24
16 Torstein Træen (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 0:02:52
17 Franck Bonnamour (Fra) B&B Hotels p/b KTM 0:03:14
18 Attila Valter (Hun) Groupama-FDJ 0:03:36
19 Petr Vakoc (Cze) Alpecin-Fenix 0:03:39
20 Jan Maas (Ned) Leopard Pro Cycling 0:04:01
21 Delio Fernandez Cruz (Spa) Delko 0:04:05
22 Sébastien Reichenbach (Swi) Groupama-FDJ 0:04:16
23 Jetse Bol (Ned) Burgos-BH 0:04:40
24 Elie Gesbert (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic 0:05:43
25 Jack Bauer (NZl) Team BikeExchange 0:07:18
26 Markus Hoelgaard (Nor) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 0:07:53
27 Kevin Colleoni (Ita) Team BikeExchange 0:08:43
28 Ben O’Connor (Aus) AG2R Citroën Team 0:10:04
29 Eduard Prades Reverter (Spa) Delko 0:10:33
30 Andrea Vendrame (Ita) AG2R Citroën Team 0:11:26
31 Julien Bernard (Fra) Trek-Segafredo 0:11:40
32 Jonathan Lastra Martinez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:11:58
33 Jose Herrada (Spa) Cofidis 0:12:08
34 Fernando Barceló Aragon (Spa) Cofidis 0:12:30
35 Anthony Turgis (Fra) TotalEnergies 0:13:24
36 Juan Ayuso Pesquera (Spa) Team Colpack Ballan 0:13:41
37 Mauri Vansevenant (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:14:27
38 Mattias Skjelmose (Den) Trek-Segafredo 0:16:04
39 Esteban Chaves Rubio (Col) Team BikeExchange 0:16:05
40 Kenneth Van Rooy (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:16:06
41 Anthony Perez (Fra) Cofidis 0:17:20
42 Julian Mertens (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:17:51
43 Benoit Cosnefroy (Fra) AG2R Citroën Team 0:18:26
44 Fabio Van Den Bossche (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:18:31
45 Dries Devenyns (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:18:35
46 Nathan Brown (USA) Rally Cycling 0:18:46
47 Tom Wirtgen (Lux) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB 0:18:58
48 Luc Wirtgen (Lux) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB 0:19:29
49 Cyril Barthe (Fra) B&B Hotels p/b KTM 0:19:34
50 Sebastian Schönberger (Aut) B&B Hotels p/b KTM 0:20:55
51 Tanel Kangert (Est) Team BikeExchange 0:21:01
52 Callum Scotson (Aus) Team BikeExchange 0:21:07
53 Antonio Tiberi (Ita) Trek-Segafredo 0:21:25
54 Ben King (USA) Rally Cycling 0:21:47
55 Jonathan Hivert (Fra) B&B Hotels p/b KTM 0:21:58
56 Alex Kirsch (Lux) Trek-Segafredo 0:22:25
57 Dayer Quintana (Col) Team Arkea-Samsic 0:22:47
58 Angel Fuentes Paniego (Spa) Burgos-BH 0:23:24
59 Anthon Charmig (Den) Uno-X Dare Development Team 0:23:32
60 Dimitri Peyskens (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB 0:23:56
61 Philipp Walsleben (Ger) Alpecin-Fenix 0:24:59
62 Frederik Frison (Bel) Lotto Soudal 0:25:07
63 Remy Mertz (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB 0:25:42
64 Harry Sweeny (Aus) Lotto Soudal 0:25:49
65 Edvald Boasson Hagen (Nor) TotalEnergies 0:26:13
66 Sam Gaze (NZl) Alpecin-Fenix 0:26:28
67 Kevin Ledanois (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic 0:26:41
68 Romain Hardy (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic 0:27:00
69 Brent Bookwalter (USA) Team BikeExchange 0:27:25
70 Cristian Camilo Muñoz Lancheros (Col) UAE Team Emirates 0:27:48
71 Pieter Serry (Bel) Deceuninck-QuickStep 0:28:19
72 Roberto González (Pan) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM 0:29:27
73 Jacob Hindsgaul Madsen (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 0:29:35
74 Kamil Gradek (Pol) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM 0:29:57
75 Sacha Modolo (Ita) Alpecin-Fenix 0:30:03
76 Matthieu Ladagnous (Fra) Groupama-FDJ 0:30:05
77 Laurent Pichon (Fra) Team Arkea-Samsic 0:30:42
78 Jarno Mobach (Ned) Leopard Pro Cycling 0:30:54
79 Aaron Van Poucke (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:31:32
80 Bob Jungels (Lux) AG2R Citroën Team 0:31:38
81 Cedric Beullens (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise 0:31:55
82 Morten Hulgaard (Den) Uno-X Pro Cycling Team 0:32:34
83 Otto Vergaerde (Bel) Alpecin-Fenix 0:32:57
84 Adam De Vos (Can) Rally Cycling 0:34:39
85 Marlon Gaillard (Fra) TotalEnergies 0:35:59
86 Ben Gastauer (Lux) AG2R Citroën Team 0:36:35
87 Geoffrey Soupe (Fra) TotalEnergies 0:36:39
88 Jacques Lebreton (Fra) Cofidis 0:37:53
89 Jhojan Garcia Susa (Col) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:38:05
90 Kenny Molly (Bel) Bingoal Pauwels Sauzen WB 0:38:59
91 Miguel Heidemann (Ger) Leopard Pro Cycling 0:39:26
92 Cédric Pries (Lux) Leopard Pro Cycling 0:39:57
93 August Jensen (Nor) Delko 0:41:17
94 Natnael Berhane (Eri) Cofidis 0:42:47
95 Dries Van Gestel (Bel) TotalEnergies 0:44:48
96 Manuel Peñalver Aniorte (Spa) Burgos-BH 0:45:59
97 Santiago Mesa Pietralunga (Col) Burgos-BH 0:47:27
98 Orluis Alberto Aular Sanabria (Ven) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA 0:47:45
99 Emerson Oronte (USA) Rally Cycling 0:48:41
100 Juan Antonio Lopez Cozard (Spa) Burgos-BH 0:51:03
101 Riccardo Stacchiotti (Ita) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM 0:55:22
102 Etienne van Empel (Ned) Vini Zabu’ Brado KTM 0:56:30
103 Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal 1:06:46