The longest, but also the easiest stage 5 was the finishing touch to the 67th edition of Tour of Slovakia. It started in Hlohovec and ended in Púchov after 184 kilometers. The stage took the competitors through several interesting places, they went through the oldest pilgrimage site in Slovakia in Štvrtok or through Čachtice, widely known thanks to Countess Alžbeta Báthory. The route offered final three categorized climbs and two intermediate sprints. On the slopes of Dúbrava, Košecké Podhradie and Lednica, a rider could collect a maximum of 12 points for the KOM competition, which was definitively won by Milan Vader (Jumbo – Visma) yesterday.
On the final day, after a big fight in the peloton, three cyclists managed to get into the breakaway of the day, namely Charles Quarterman (Team Corratec), Jeppe Aaskov Pallesen (HRE Mazowsze Serce Polski) and Jasper Haest (VolkerWessels). The latter was also present in last year's final stage of Tour de Slovakia with finish in Košice and eventually won it. Today, the leading trio had to face Belgium's Soudal – Quick-Step against them. Tim Declercq and Josef Černý allowed the gap a maximum of three and a half minutes.
The breakaway claimed victories at premies in Dúbrava, Košecké Podhradie, in Dubnica nad Váhom and also in Lednické Rovne. Before the categorized climb in Lednica, Charles Quarterman (Team Corratec) tried to get away from the break, but the peloton caught all three guys of the breakaway up before the foot of the hill. On the top, Mirco Maestri (EOLO - Kometa) gained the full number of points. After that just 20 kilometers remained until the finish line.
The peloton was then led by Soudal – Quick-Step, and even Rémi Cavagna in the yellow jersey came to work at the head of the bunch. Five kilometers before the finish, Daniel Eichinger (Hrinkow Advarics) tried to attack, but he was only a few meters ahead. Then the stage was set for the final sprint.
The last kilometer was more technical and Kasper Asgreen (Soudal – Quick-Step) took advantage of this fact. He was careful and observant in the last right-hand turn just three hundred meters before the finish line, gained a few meters and went for the win. Bert Van Lerberghe (Soudal – Quick-Step) finished second and Tim Merlier (Soudal – Quick-Step) came third. All three thus crowned the dominance of Soudal – Quick-Step in the Tour of Slovakia's 67th edition. Belgian team won all five stages.
Rémi Cavagna (Soudal – Quick-Step) finished the stage within the peloton and became the overall winner of the race. He did not manage to keep the green jersey. It was won by his teammate Tim Merlier, who only had to finish in third place to win. The other two valuable jerseys were won by Jumbo – Visma competitors. Milan Vader decided to win the polka dot jersey yesterday, Colby Simmons won the white jersey only today. Simmons was the best young rider in the 67th year. Lukáš Kubiš (Dukla Banská Bystrica) finished in 25th place, but it was enough for him to keep the jersey for the best domestic competitor. The organizers awarded the prize for the most aggressive driver of the entire edition to Thibaut Pinot (Groupama - FDJ), who will end his successful career in a few weeks.
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