'I was suffering there' - Simon Carr sees dreams of Tour of the Alps stage victory crushed by the Ineos Grenadiers train
British EF Education-EasyPost rider says he was made to pay for early efforts on steep final climb
Simon Carr (EF Education-EasyPost) cut a lonely figure as he crossed the finish line and searched for his soigneurs on day two of the Tour of the Alps.
After spending a large part of the 165 kilometre long stage two in a three-man breakaway, Carr would then go at it alone on the final climb, only to be caught as the summit neared by a rampaging Ineos mountain train.
Carr would ultimately finish 59th, more than nine minutes behind the stage winner Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos Grenadiers).
Speaking to the media on the concrete of the Ritten Arena, Carr explained that he ultimately was made to suffer for his early efforts at the start of the stage when the final climb eventually arrived.
“We never had much of a gap all day. I used quite a lot of energy at the start as there was just the two of us,” he said. “I think I paid for that in the final. I was still feeling good, but then the final part was really hard. Particularly with the descents as well, it kind of breaks your rhythm a bit. I was suffering there.”
After growing up in the south of France, Carr has regularly shown that he's more than at home in the high mountains as he did this afternoon in Italy.
“I was definitely the strongest guy in the breakaway, then it was just a question of trying to get the most out of it, and get everyone pulling well… on the climb I ended up going solo, and from there I was just all in, it was a super hard day.”
After Carr's teammate and fellow Briton Hugh Carthy launched an unsuccessful attack in the closing moments of stage one, it was a second aggressive day for the EF Education-EasyPost team. Carr highlighted Carthy’s position, as well as that of Jefferson Cepeda in the general classification, and promised more edge of your seat, attacking racing from his team.
“I think we’ve still got two guys close on the GC… We can get some opportunities as well in the breakaways, as the race progresses they’ll be more likely to succeed, so that’s the goal for the rest of the week,” Carr added.
After stage two, Carthy sits third behind current race leader and stage winner Geoghegan Hart at 22 seconds. Cepeda is ninth, 40 seconds from the lead.
“I think we’ve got a really strong team this year, and had some success. That’s motivating,” he said. “On a personal level I haven’t actually won for like two years, so I’m really motivated to win again. I’ve been close on a few occasions with breakaways, but at the end of the day it’s often the bunch that decides the gap.”
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
Tom joined Cycling Weekly in early 2022 and his news stories, rider interviews and features appear both online and in the magazine.
He has reported from some of professional cycling's biggest races and events including the Tour de France and the recent Glasgow World Championships. He has also covered races elsewhere across the world and interviewed some of the sport's top riders.
When not writing news scoops from the WorldTour, or covering stories from elsewhere in the domestic professional scene, he reports on goings on at bike shops up and down the UK, where he is based when not out on the road at races. He has also appeared on the Radio Cycling podcast.
-
Customizable titanium race bikes without the eye-watering price tag: Blackheart's Road Ti bike reviewed
The Road Ti offers that calm and refined feel for a fraction of the cost of other titanium racing bikes.
By Greg Kaplan Published
-
Kasia Niewiadoma wins La Flèche Wallonne, first road victory for five years
The Canyon-Sram rider took her first road victory for five years on the Mur de Huy
By Adam Becket Published
-
'It was one of the hardest days of my life' - Rain and cold lay waste to Tour of the Alps
Juanpe López takes stage three victory, while Geraint Thomas finishes three minutes down in inclement Austrian weather
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'I got left out' - How one contractless pro is fighting to get back to the WorldTour
Giro d'Italia stage winner Lukas Pöstlberger might be without a team, but he's determined to get back to the top
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'We're fighting all the time to be in front': Is cycling more dangerous nowadays? We asked the pros
'We need to show some good sense and realise that it's not worth winning at any price,' said one rider
By Tom Davidson Published
-
'I spent five weeks on the sofa': How Tobias Foss overcame illness and got back to winning ways
At the Tour of the Alps, the Ineos Grenadiers rider took his first victory since becoming time trial world champion in 2022. The 19 months in between proved a bumpy ride
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Can Hugh Carthy finish on a Grand Tour podium again? 'He's still going to be one of the best climbers in the world'
The Briton has finished eighth and ninth at the Giro d'Italia since his Vuelta podium
By Chris Marshall-Bell Published
-
Rigoberto Urán to retire at end of 2024 season - 'We have reached the end'
Colombian announces at Tour Colombia that he will call time on his career at end of year after 19 years in pro peloton
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Never celebrate early and Groupama-FDJ on a roll: Five things we learned from the opening races of 2024
Five takeaways from the opening set of races as Opening Weekend edges closer
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Are EF Pro Cycling's national champion kits the prettiest in the peloton?
Coryn Labecki rates her US national crit champion kit a 11/10; out of her many national champ jerseys, this is the best one yet
By Anne-Marije Rook Published