XDS Astana's López takes the lead in Tour of Hellas General Classification
The second stage of the Tour of Hellas, one of the decisive mountain stages of the race, finished with a 20-kilometer climb to Arachova. XDS Astana Team rider Harold Martín López secured second place on the stage and took the overall lead in the General Classification, Kazinform News Agency cites the Team's press service.
Harold Martín López launched a counterattack a few kilometers before the finish, following an acceleration by Australian rider Luke Plapp, whom he caught 1.5 kilometers before the summit. In the sprint, López was narrowly beaten by Plapp, but his strong performance put him in the leader’s jersey of the Tour of Hellas.
“After the Volta a Catalunya, I feel that I have reached a very good level of form, so I was aiming for this stage with the uphill finish. The whole team did an amazing job today – it was just fantastic. First, Alessio (Delle Vedove) pulled us all to the front with a powerful effort, putting us in a great position. Then we took responsibility in the race, chasing the breakaway and increasing the pace in the peloton. Gleb Syritsa worked hard at the front, and then on the climb, Simone Zanini and Pierre-Henri Basset made strong pulls. Diego Ulissi was outstanding today, covering all the attacks from rivals, which allowed me to save energy for the final. I attacked a few kilometers before the finish, but it didn't work, so I responded to Plapp’s attack. Of course, I wanted to win the stage, but in the sprint, Luke Plapp was stronger. Nevertheless, I’m happy to have taken the leader’s jersey, and now I will focus on fighting in the next stages to try to keep it”, said Harold Martín López.
Another XDS Astana Team rider, Diego Ulissi, finished fifth on the stage.
Earlier, on Stage 1 of the Tour of Hellas, which ended in a mass sprint, Gleb Syritsa claimed third place.
Notably, XDS Astana revealed its race roster for Dwars door Vlaanderen 2025.
