TNN close out the Tour of Hellas with another top five in Athens

Team Novo Nordisk repeated the trick on the final stage of the Tour of Hellas today with experienced team captain Andrea Peron providing another exemplary lead out for Czech flyer Matyas Kopecky and the 21-year-old sprinting to his second fifth place in as many days.

“The results are not what we wanted to be honest,” said Peron. “We feel that we could have won a stage here and the last two stages in particular the team rode so well that we probably deserved a victory. Of course, we’ll take the positives and Matyas and me are developing a good understanding in the finals, the season is still long, and we will have more opportunities to make that count.”

After a couple of false starts in the first two stages the team came through the mountainous Queen Stage and set about chasing the elusive podium place on stage four. The signs were good early in the stage and after a late catch of the breakaway Peron took control and with Kopecky on his wheel narrowly missed out on the top three.

“I said after yesterday’s stage how frustrated we were to miss out on the podium and even a win,” concluded Kopecky. “So, to have the same thing happen again today on the last stage is really demoralizing and I’m annoyed at myself more than anything.”

“Andrea was supreme today and if anyone needs evidence of that then check out the video on the TNN X account. He took control of the final and set me up perfectly, but my mistake was going to the right instead of left. That cost us the result today and I won’t let it happen again.”

The podium remains elusive even though the performances are good, and the team spirit is high within Team Novo Nordisk as we look ahead to the upcoming Tour of Estonia before more big races in Belgium and the sweet arrival of summer racing.