The 2022 Tour of Slovenia came to its conclusion on Sunday with a largely flat stage between Vrhnika and Novo Mesto over a distance of 155.7km.
It was another very hot day in Slovenia but that didn’t stop our Scandinavian breakaway king Ukko Peltonen get into the breakaway with 7 other riders. They managed to pull out almost 5 minutes on the chasing peloton but were caught on the final short and very steep climb on the final lap around Novo Mesto with around 11km to go.
This brings our time in Slovenia to an end. It was race that did not entirely go as hoped, but there was plenty of visibility for the team both in the breaks with Nico Sessler and Ukko as well as on TV with Eurosport/GCN commentator Calton Kirby telling stories about the team, including Xeno Young’s epic “reverse breakaway”.
We were hoping to finish the race with all 7 riders but, unfortunately, sprinter Miguel Angel Fernandez really struggled in the heat in the opening two days and had to abandon with heatstroke. Fortunately, the rest of the squad finished well.
Up next for the team will be the Sibiu Tour in Romania where the riders will look to continue this good momentum and look for a big result.
Ukko Peltonen – “The main plan for the last stage was to be in the breakaway and after 4 days of trying I finally found my way to it. It was such a hard day in the saddle under the scorching sun. I am happy about being in the break in a big race like the Tour of Slovenia, but I still have lots of work in front of me before Sibiu Tour so that I can be ready to fight there.”
Director Sportif, Florent Horeau – “It was a good last stage for us with Ukko getting a lot of time in the breakaway. He looked very strong and we are pleased with his performance. The race as a whole can be seen as a great experience for all the riders, especially the younger members of our team. Now we can really build towards our next goals, including the Sibiu Tour in 2 weeks.”