Maas 11th at Tour Alsace, Pries 14th at GP Pérenchies

The Tour Alsace summarized
After the Tour Alsace opened with a team time trial, Patrick Haller (part of the breakaway) and Jarno Mobach (8th in the bunch sprint) in the second stage took care of the motivation boost just before the race headed into the mountains of the Vosges for stages three and four. On Friday, the stage ended up the famous La Planche des Belles Filles, one of Jan Maas' favorite climbs. Two years ago, the Dutch climber finished already eighth on this stage, but now the 25-year-old improved to a sixth position on the day and moved up to seventh overall.

All ingredients for yet another amazing GC result were there, but bad legs in the penultimate stage were not helpful. After losing contact with the first riders, Maas was able to somewhat come back on the final climb up to Lac Blanc. He finished eighteenth, quickly followed by Arthur Kluckers in nineteenth. With a respectively eleventh and eighteenth position, both riders headed into the final stage with loyal teammates at their side. Kluckers went into the attack and was only brought back with three kilometers to go. Unfortunately Jan and Jarno crashed in the final, but thanks to the help of Miguel Heidemann and Louis Coqueret, Jan made it back on, claiming eleventh overall. All in all, the team did a very good race in a very high-level field, which is also proven by the second position in the overall teams ranking. 

Result Tour Alsace (UCI 2.2)
1. José Félix Parra (SPA) - Equipo Kern Pharma
11. Jan Maas (NED) + 1'49"
18. Arthur Kluckers (LUX) + 2'43"
37. Miguel Heidemann (GER) + 9'56"
92. Louis Coqueret (FRA) + 39'01"
119. Jarno Mobach (NED) + 1h08'53"
DNF. Patrick Haller (GER) - Stage 2

The GP Pérenchies summarized
On the menu was a fairly straightforward race. Six laps of twelve kilometers in the first part of the race, six laps of about 15 kilometers and a cobbled section in the second part. Leopard's Colin Heiderscheid felt up for it and was able to be a part of a fourteen-men breakaway group. As the race progressed, the situation was looking good for the team, until Colin had a flat tire in the ninth lap. He was able to take his position in the second group, but he was not able to play an important role anymore. Heading into an inevitable bunch sprint finish, L'Etoile d'Or-winner Filip Maciejuk did a very good job in leading-out Cédric Pries. In the end, the 20-year-old Luxembourger crossed the line in Pérenchies as fourteenth.

Result GP Pérenchies (UCI 1.2)
1. Emiel Vermeulen (BEL) - Xelliss-Roubaix Lille Métropole
14. Cedric Pries (LUX) s.t.
40. Filip Maciejuk (POL) s.t.
41. Loïc Bettendorff (LUX) s.t.
44. Mats Wenzel (LUX) s.t.
79. Edvin Lovidius (SWE) + 3'46"
80. Tim Torn Teutenberg (GER) + 4'23"
81. Colin Heiderscheid (LUX) + 4'23"

Next races?
05-08.08 | Sazka Tour | Czech Republic | UCI 2.1

Photographers
(c) Elisa Haumesser, Aurélie Tscheiller, Jerome Heinis, Directvelo & Jean-Pierre Kieffer