Etoile de Besseges: Gallopin wins closing time trial

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Tony Gallopin (Lotto Soudal) stormed his way up the final climb in the time trial that closed out the Etoile de Besseges on Sunday, taking his first win of the year in a time of 17:05. Direct Energie’s Lilian Calmejane finished second, 13 seconds down, while third place went to Pierre Latour (AG2R La Mondiale), at 0:17.

Calmejane, who took the race lead when he won the third stage, was 18 seconds up on Gallopin coming into the crucial final stage. He was able to hold on to enough time to claim the overall title, his first GC win as a pro rider.

The stage win was enough to move Gallopin up to second on GC. Young Mads Wurz Schmidt of Katusha-Alpecin took third, putting himself on the podium of only his first pro race. He finished a surprising fourth on the difficult time trial, only 20 seconds down.

Roughly the first 9km of the stage 5 time trial in Ales were flattish. Then things kicked upward, with gradients near 15% at one point along the way.

Dries De Bondt (Veranda’s Willems – Crelan) was the first man off and set a time of 19:45, and from there the best time dropped with regularity. Many suffered on the closing steep climb.

Calmejane went into the final stage with a narrow lead of 17 seconds over Mads Wurz Schmidt (Katusha-Alpecin) and 18 seconds over the dangerous Tony Gallopin of Lotto Soudal. Gallopin put in a very fast time of 17:05, topping the previous best by 17 seconds. He bundled up in winter jacket, hat and gloves to await the time of his remaining rivals.

Calmejane, who had proved his climbing abilities by winning a medium mountain stage in the Vuelta a España last year, was up to the challenge and took second on the stage, with enough time in hand to claim the title.

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