The latest results from Etoile de Bessèges - Tour du Gard 2023
Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) rode one-second faster than Mattias Skjelmose (Trek-Segafredo) in the stage 5 time trial and earned the overall title at 2023 Etoile de Bessèges (Image credit: Luc Claessen/Getty Images)
Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) scorched across the 10.6km time trial course to win stage 5 of the Etoile de Bessèges, while Neilson Powless (EF Education-EasyPost) grabbed the overall title by riding one second faster than Mattias Skjelmose (Trek-Segafredo).
Only four seconds separated the GC contenders Powless and Skjelmose, who took the race lead when he won stage 4 ahead of the EF Education rider. Powless powered through the crosswinds early in the course and then pushed smoothly around the final corner of the uphill finish at Côte de l'Ermitage to finish eighth, in a time of time of 15:46.
The final rider on the course was Skjelmose, who finished ninth, his time of 15:51 was five seconds slower than Powless, which was the one second that the US rider needed to secure the overall title. Pierre Latour (TotalEnergies) was fifth on the stage and held on to third overall.
Pedersen's time of 15:25 at the line in Alès held as 117 other riders fell short. gave him the stage win. The Ineos Grenadiers duo of Josh Tarling and Ben Tulett took the final spots on the TT podium, Tarling 8 seconds back for second and Tulett 10 seconds back for third.
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