Madis Mihkels finishes just a bike's length off Tour de Wallonie stage win
Estonian cyclist Madis Mihkels put in an excellent performance on the opening stage of the Tour de Wallonie in Belgium, finishing second and almost winning.
Mihkels, 21, who rides for the Intermarché - Wanty teamm was part of the peloton during the 179.2-kilometer Tournai to Fleurus first stage, and though some riders took a wrong turn about one and a half kilometers before the finish line, thanks to the camera bike leading them the wrong way, Mihkels avoided this confusion.
He continued to push for the win until the end, but started his final sprint a bit too early, which allowed Jordi Meeus (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) to take the stage win, with a time of 4:03.11.
Jordi Meeus takes Stage 1 of the Ethias-Tour de Wallonie after the camera bike goes the wrong way and confuses riders in the peloton! pic.twitter.com/s1bUwgWmbF
— Eurosport (@eurosport) July 22, 2024
Mihkels crossed the finish line in second place.
The Tour de Wallonie, which as its name suggests follows a route across Wallonia – Frensh-speaking Belgium – continues on Tuesday with an 188.25-kilometer stage from Saint-Ghislain to Ouffet.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte, Kristjan Kallaste
