Smith wins mountain stage and moves into overall lead at Tour of South Bohemia
William Smith claimed an impressive victory in the third stage of the Tour of South Bohemia. The young Brit attacked with five other riders at 60 kilometers from the finish, then upped the pace on the final climb and ultimately powered to the win. With his victory, Smith also took over the lead in the general classification.
In the third stage of the Czech stage race, Team Visma | Lease a Bike Development quickly took control of proceedings. With 60 kilometers remaining, Smith attacked alongside five others before taking the initiative on the final climb. The Brit pushed the pace, splitting the breakaway group. In the sprint he proved the strongest, securing both the stage win and the leader’s jersey.
"I’m incredibly happy with this victory"
“I’m incredibly happy with this victory,” reacted the 21-year-old afterwards. “This season hasn’t been easy. I’ve had my share of setbacks. As a team we rode really strongly today, and I was able to finish it off in the finale. Hopefully I can secure the overall win tomorrow.”
That satisfaction was shared by sports director Sierk Jan de Haan, who praised the whole team. “The riders once again did an excellent job today. After we had taken control, William managed to jump with the right breakaway and then delivered a fantastic performance on the final climb. Our young riders are developing in a wonderful way, and hopefully tomorrow we can again fight for both the stage win and the overall victory.”
