USA has successful Fleche du Sud

The USA Cycling National Development Team completed a successful Fleche du Sud on Sunday, collecting several victories throughout the five-stage race. Tejay Van Garderen was responsible for most of the team's individual honours, as the 19 year-old won the opening stage, placed second overall, won the Best Young Rider and Points classifications.

In Thursday's 163-kilometre stage from Schifflange to Rumelamge, Van Garderen escaped from the 133-rider peloton and finished two seconds up on Velentin Iglinskiy to record one of the biggest wins of his career. The result moved him into fourth place overall entering stage two. On Friday, Van Garderen followed up his stage win with a second-place effort in the 142-kilometre stage two from Ettelbruck to Wiltz – a performance that moved him into second place in the general classification.

In Sunday's fourth and final stage – a 165-kilometre race from Karyl to Alzette, Van Garderen finished fifth to maintain his second-place finish overall. He finished just nine seconds off the pace of overall winner Marcel Wyss of Switzerland.

Peter Stetina gave the USA Cycling National Development Team two riders in the top ten overall with a sixth-place finish, 31 seconds off the pace of Wyss.

The squad's overall performance gave the USA Cycling National Development Team the overall team's victory with a cumulative time of 47:11.59. The squad finished first by 55 seconds over the Differdange - Apiflo Vacances amateur squad.