Team dsm-firmenich closes Tour de France campaign with brave effort on Champs-Élysées

After three intense weeks of racing in France, Team dsm-firmenich concluded its Tour de France campaign on Sunday evening with a good sprint on the famous Chams-Élysées.

It seems like ages ago: the Grand Depart of the Tour de France in Bilbao, Spain. The biggest event of the cycling calendar had a volatile course for Team dsm-firmenich and the highly motivated and driven group of riders, coaches and staff. The team can look back on three heavy weeks in which several riders made their debut in La Grande Boucle. Unfortunately, the team was not able to compete in the general classification due to Romain Bardet’s crash in stage 14, after which he abandoned the race.

On Sunday, the final stage to Paris was on the program with a last chance for the fast guys in the peloton. Sam Welsford was unlucky a few times in the finals, but – unlike many competitors – made it to the Chams-Élysées. Arriving on the streets of Paris, the pace went up quickly and several attacks were placed. Nevertheless, they were brought back each time and all was together once again the final lap started. The team moved up Welsford gradually after attacks from John Degenkolb, Nils Eekhoff and Alex Edmondson. In the last kilometre, Welsford battled with the world’s best sprinters and lead home the team in 14th position, closing Team dsm-firmenich’s Tour de France 2023 campaign.

 

After the stage, Team dsm-firmenich coach Matt Winston added: “Our goal was to be active in the stage and we did a pretty good job with Alex there. He followed quite some moves. When we came into the finale we lacked a little bit there to keep following those moves and to keep in the race. In the final sprint, the guys did a good job to be together but it’s so hectic on the Champs-Élysées. At the Tour, we did not have the results we wanted and where we came for, but now also we need to build on this and keep making those steps forward towards the future.”