The sixth and last stage, arriving at Quinta da Boa Vista Sunday, 31st, was won by Brazilian Rafael Andriato (Neri Sottoli Yellow Fluo Pro)
It was on a sunny day and in crowded Quinta da Boa Vista that Oscar Sevilla (EPM UNE) put on once and for all the yellow jersey and was able to celebrate being a two-time individual general Tour do Rio champion on Sunday, 31st. The Spanish cyclist, 16th place in the sixth and last stage, pedaled the Tour's 997km over the week at the overall time of 23h15min13s, ten seconds ahead of the second-placed competitor, his fellow countryman Gustavo Veloso (OFM Quinta da Lixa). Brazil stood on the podium as Kleber Ramos ranked third (Funvic Brasilinvest), and he took home the white jersey with red polka-dots awarded to the competition's best climber. The best Under-23 athlete prize (white jersey) went to Mektel Eyob (World Cycling Centre), from Eritrea. The winning team was Brazilian Ironage Colner, at 69h48min52s.
The winner of Sunday's stage, between Rio das Ostras and Rio de Janeiro (180.7km), was Brazilian Rafael Andriato (Neri Sottoli / Yellow Fluo Pro), who sprinted in the final yards to clock 3h37min22s. Cuban Michel Garcia (São Francisco Saúde/ Açúcar Caravelas / Gold Meat) finished second, followed by Argentinean Cristian Clavero (Ironage Colner), the Tour's fastest sprinter and winner of the green jersey.
It was on a sunny day and in crowded Quinta da Boa Vista that Oscar Sevilla (EPM UNE) put on once and for all the yellow jersey and was able to celebrate being a two-time individual general Tour do Rio champion on Sunday, 31st. The Spanish cyclist, 16th place in the sixth and last stage, pedaled the Tour's 997km over the week at the overall time of 23h15min13s, ten seconds ahead of the second-placed competitor, his fellow countryman Gustavo Veloso (OFM Quinta da Lixa). Brazil stood on the podium as Kleber Ramos ranked third (Funvic Brasilinvest), and he took home the white jersey with red polka-dots awarded to the competition's best climber. The best Under-23 athlete prize (white jersey) went to Mektel Eyob (World Cycling Centre), from Eritrea. The winning team was Brazilian Ironage Colner, at 69h48min52s.
The winner of Sunday's stage, between Rio das Ostras and Rio de Janeiro (180.7km), was Brazilian Rafael Andriato (Neri Sottoli / Yellow Fluo Pro), who sprinted in the final yards to clock 3h37min22s. Cuban Michel Garcia (São Francisco Saúde/ Açúcar Caravelas / Gold Meat) finished second, followed by Argentinean Cristian Clavero (Ironage Colner), the Tour's fastest sprinter and winner of the green jersey.
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Donning the yellow jersey since the end of the first stage, Oscar Sevilla was able to manage his advantage from the start. The two-time champion acknowledged the people who helped over the race's six days. "Those were very tough days, intense, really physically and psychologically taxing. At times like that, my mates' team work was essential. Sometimes you think you will not be able to handle so much strain, but then they come up to you, spur you on, and that makes a difference. I would also like to thank my coach (Gabriel Mesa) and my family. I dedicate this title to all of them,” Sevilla celebrated.
The last stage
Leaving the mountains mostly behind, the sixth and last stage of the Tour do Rio was marked by fierce racing, constant sprints to break ahead of the pack, and an average speed of nearly 50km/h along flat stretches. The teams attacked one another quite a lot throughout the route and there was great anticipation to see whether Oscar Sevilla (EPM UNE) would be able to hold on to his ten-second lead over the overall second place, Gustavo Veloso (OFM Quinta da Lixa). Hearts were beating even faster along the final ten kilometers. The peloton's average speed reached 52 km/h, as cyclists took turns attacking and dashing, and five leaders were dominating the race at that point. Along the last kilometer, as the entire peloton rode as a compact mass, Rafael Andriato and Michel Garcia put up a fierce fight for first place and drove the crowd wild. At the end, the Brazilian prevailed.
“Wow! It was amazing! I have no words to explain this win, perhaps on account of exhaustion (laughter). I am thrilled to have won three really tough stages on the Tour do Rio. It feels great to get here and be welcomed so warmly by the crowd. Winning at home is a unique feeling. The competition is very hard. In Europe, for instance, the stages are very well defined. On one day, you only ride through mountains. The other, all you get is flat roads. Here, you have everything all mixed up every day. It is a major physical and psychological challenge. Not to mention that the landscape is breathtaking. Now all I want to do is rest and celebrate this title with my family,” Rafael Andriato explained.
The top-ranking Brazilian in the general individual classification, Kleber Ramos analyzed his and his team's performance throughout the Tour. “We began the Tour do Rio focused on the individual classification podium and winning the mountain jersey. We have managed to win both. Today (Sunday), the team did a great job neutralizing the dashes. I ventured a sprint at the end and secured the fourth place in this stage. I am very happy about what we did throughout the week,” the athlete said.
Tour do Rio's General Director Maria Luisa Jucá has announced changes to the 2015 route, and stages will be held in other cities. The only definite one so far is Três Rios. Additionally, the event is expected to move up on the Union Cycliste Internationale's technical scale. “We are waiting for the UCI's evaluation to know whether the Tour do Rio will become a 2.1 event on the international scale. That will allow us to further improve our technical level. This year we had two Brazilian teams taking up the highest place on the podium and that shows how far national cycling has come over these past five years. I can say they are ready to compete against international teams,” she guaranteed.
Paulo Vieira, chairman of the Brazilian Law for Sports Encouragement Technical Committee, also attended the arrival of the 5th Tour do Rio. “This is the fifth year the Law supports the event. Since 2007, we have invested over BRL 1 billion in the sport. I would like to congratulate Instituto Faça (which organizes the Tour do Rio) not only on the competition but also on all of the other activities they carry out to develop cycling,” he said.
Individual Classification in the Stage:
1) Rafael Andriato (Neri Sottoli/Yellow Fluo Pro) – 3h37min22s
2) Michel Garcia (São Francisco Saúde) – same time
3) Cristian Clavero (Ironage Colner) – same time
4) Kleber Ramos (Funivc Brasilinvest) – same time
5) Jaime Castañeda (EPM UNE) – same time
General Individual Classification
1) Oscar Sevilla (EPM UNE – Colombia) – 23h15min13s
2) Gustavo Veloso (OFM / Quinta da Lixa – Portugal) – 10s behind
3) Kleber Ramos (Funvic Brasilinvest) – 1min21s behind
4) Gregolry Panizo (Clube Dataro de Ciclismo) – 1min29s behind
5) Wilian Chiarello (Clube Dataro de Ciclismo) – 1min52s behind
Team Classification in the Stage:
1) EPM UNE (Colombia) – 10h52min06s
2) OFM/Quinta da Lixa (Portugal) – same time
3) São Francisco Saúde (Ribeirão Preto) – same time
4) Leopard Development Team (Luxemburg) – 09 seconds behind
5) Neri Sottoli/Yellow Fluo Pro (Itália) – 11 seconds behind
6) Clube Dataro de Ciclismo (Cascavel) – same time
7) Ironage Colner (Sorocaba) – same time
8) World Cycling Centre (Africa) – same time
9) Equipe UFF de Ciclismo (Rio de Janeiro) – same time
10)Funvic Brasilinvest (São José dos Campos) – 17 seconds behind
General Classification - Teams
1) Ironage Colner (Sorocaba) – 69h48min52s
2) Clube Dataro de Ciclismo (Sorocaba) – 2min29s behind
3) EPM UNE (Colombia) – 4min48s behind
4) OFM Quinta da Lixa (Portugal) – same time
5) São Francisco Saúde (Ribeirão Preto) – 19min37s behind
6) Funvic Brasilinvest (São José dos Campos) – 29min21s behind
7) Neri Sottoli/Yellow Fluo Pro (Italy) – 30min42s behind
8) Leopard Development Team (Luxemburg) – 1h18min51s behind
9) World Cycling Centre (Africa) – 1h35min12s behind
10) Equipe UFF de Ciclismo (Rio de Janeiro) – 2h33min15s behind
Points in the Stage
1) Rafael Andriato (Neri Sottoli/Yellow Fluo Pro) – 10 points
2) Michel Garcia (São Francisco Saúde) – 7 points
3) Cristian Clavero (Ironage Colner) – 5 points
4) Kleber Ramos (Funvic Brasilinvest) – 3 points
5) Jaime Castañeda (EPM UNE) – 2 points
Overall Points
1) Cristian Clavero (Ironage Colner) – 56 points
2) Rafael Andriato (Neri Sottoli/Yellow Fluo Pro) – 40 points
3) Oscar Sevilla (EPM UNE) – 22 points
4) Kleber Ramos (Funvic Brasilinvest) – 21 points
5) José Rodrigues (Ironage Colner) – 16 points
Overall Mountains
1) Kleber Ramos (Funvic Brasilinvest) – 46 points
2) José Rodrigues (Ironage Colner) – 28 points
3) Alan Maniezzo (São Francisco Saúde) – 21 points
Overall Young Riders (Under-23)
1) Metkel Eyob (World Cycling Centre Africa)
2) Peterson Neves (Ironage Colner)
3) Marco König (Leopard Development Team)
The last stage
Leaving the mountains mostly behind, the sixth and last stage of the Tour do Rio was marked by fierce racing, constant sprints to break ahead of the pack, and an average speed of nearly 50km/h along flat stretches. The teams attacked one another quite a lot throughout the route and there was great anticipation to see whether Oscar Sevilla (EPM UNE) would be able to hold on to his ten-second lead over the overall second place, Gustavo Veloso (OFM Quinta da Lixa). Hearts were beating even faster along the final ten kilometers. The peloton's average speed reached 52 km/h, as cyclists took turns attacking and dashing, and five leaders were dominating the race at that point. Along the last kilometer, as the entire peloton rode as a compact mass, Rafael Andriato and Michel Garcia put up a fierce fight for first place and drove the crowd wild. At the end, the Brazilian prevailed.
“Wow! It was amazing! I have no words to explain this win, perhaps on account of exhaustion (laughter). I am thrilled to have won three really tough stages on the Tour do Rio. It feels great to get here and be welcomed so warmly by the crowd. Winning at home is a unique feeling. The competition is very hard. In Europe, for instance, the stages are very well defined. On one day, you only ride through mountains. The other, all you get is flat roads. Here, you have everything all mixed up every day. It is a major physical and psychological challenge. Not to mention that the landscape is breathtaking. Now all I want to do is rest and celebrate this title with my family,” Rafael Andriato explained.
The top-ranking Brazilian in the general individual classification, Kleber Ramos analyzed his and his team's performance throughout the Tour. “We began the Tour do Rio focused on the individual classification podium and winning the mountain jersey. We have managed to win both. Today (Sunday), the team did a great job neutralizing the dashes. I ventured a sprint at the end and secured the fourth place in this stage. I am very happy about what we did throughout the week,” the athlete said.
Tour do Rio's General Director Maria Luisa Jucá has announced changes to the 2015 route, and stages will be held in other cities. The only definite one so far is Três Rios. Additionally, the event is expected to move up on the Union Cycliste Internationale's technical scale. “We are waiting for the UCI's evaluation to know whether the Tour do Rio will become a 2.1 event on the international scale. That will allow us to further improve our technical level. This year we had two Brazilian teams taking up the highest place on the podium and that shows how far national cycling has come over these past five years. I can say they are ready to compete against international teams,” she guaranteed.
Paulo Vieira, chairman of the Brazilian Law for Sports Encouragement Technical Committee, also attended the arrival of the 5th Tour do Rio. “This is the fifth year the Law supports the event. Since 2007, we have invested over BRL 1 billion in the sport. I would like to congratulate Instituto Faça (which organizes the Tour do Rio) not only on the competition but also on all of the other activities they carry out to develop cycling,” he said.
Individual Classification in the Stage:
1) Rafael Andriato (Neri Sottoli/Yellow Fluo Pro) – 3h37min22s
2) Michel Garcia (São Francisco Saúde) – same time
3) Cristian Clavero (Ironage Colner) – same time
4) Kleber Ramos (Funivc Brasilinvest) – same time
5) Jaime Castañeda (EPM UNE) – same time
General Individual Classification
1) Oscar Sevilla (EPM UNE – Colombia) – 23h15min13s
2) Gustavo Veloso (OFM / Quinta da Lixa – Portugal) – 10s behind
3) Kleber Ramos (Funvic Brasilinvest) – 1min21s behind
4) Gregolry Panizo (Clube Dataro de Ciclismo) – 1min29s behind
5) Wilian Chiarello (Clube Dataro de Ciclismo) – 1min52s behind
Team Classification in the Stage:
1) EPM UNE (Colombia) – 10h52min06s
2) OFM/Quinta da Lixa (Portugal) – same time
3) São Francisco Saúde (Ribeirão Preto) – same time
4) Leopard Development Team (Luxemburg) – 09 seconds behind
5) Neri Sottoli/Yellow Fluo Pro (Itália) – 11 seconds behind
6) Clube Dataro de Ciclismo (Cascavel) – same time
7) Ironage Colner (Sorocaba) – same time
8) World Cycling Centre (Africa) – same time
9) Equipe UFF de Ciclismo (Rio de Janeiro) – same time
10)Funvic Brasilinvest (São José dos Campos) – 17 seconds behind
General Classification - Teams
1) Ironage Colner (Sorocaba) – 69h48min52s
2) Clube Dataro de Ciclismo (Sorocaba) – 2min29s behind
3) EPM UNE (Colombia) – 4min48s behind
4) OFM Quinta da Lixa (Portugal) – same time
5) São Francisco Saúde (Ribeirão Preto) – 19min37s behind
6) Funvic Brasilinvest (São José dos Campos) – 29min21s behind
7) Neri Sottoli/Yellow Fluo Pro (Italy) – 30min42s behind
8) Leopard Development Team (Luxemburg) – 1h18min51s behind
9) World Cycling Centre (Africa) – 1h35min12s behind
10) Equipe UFF de Ciclismo (Rio de Janeiro) – 2h33min15s behind
Points in the Stage
1) Rafael Andriato (Neri Sottoli/Yellow Fluo Pro) – 10 points
2) Michel Garcia (São Francisco Saúde) – 7 points
3) Cristian Clavero (Ironage Colner) – 5 points
4) Kleber Ramos (Funvic Brasilinvest) – 3 points
5) Jaime Castañeda (EPM UNE) – 2 points
Overall Points
1) Cristian Clavero (Ironage Colner) – 56 points
2) Rafael Andriato (Neri Sottoli/Yellow Fluo Pro) – 40 points
3) Oscar Sevilla (EPM UNE) – 22 points
4) Kleber Ramos (Funvic Brasilinvest) – 21 points
5) José Rodrigues (Ironage Colner) – 16 points
Overall Mountains
1) Kleber Ramos (Funvic Brasilinvest) – 46 points
2) José Rodrigues (Ironage Colner) – 28 points
3) Alan Maniezzo (São Francisco Saúde) – 21 points
Overall Young Riders (Under-23)
1) Metkel Eyob (World Cycling Centre Africa)
2) Peterson Neves (Ironage Colner)
3) Marco König (Leopard Development Team)
By: Editor
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