During the last stage of the Tour de France in Great Britain, NetApp – Endura once again displayed an aggressive performance. The 155-kilometer race from Cambridge to London was dominated for a long time by Jan Barta and his breakaway colleague Jean-Marie Bideau (Bretagne-Séché Environnement). The peloton caught up with Barta just six kilometers before the finish, with the outcome of the stage being decided in a sprint royale. In superior style, German top sprinter Marcel Kittel (Giant-Shimano) relegated Peter Sagan (Cannondale) and Mark Renshaw (Omega Pharma-Quick Step) to second and third place, respectively. NetApp-Endura’s Australian rider Zak Dempster sprinted into a very good 11th place.

“Jan had a very strong race, just as we had planned. After all, we wanted Jan to be a part of the lead group. It was a good thing that the first attack came off successfully, because that way Jan saved a lot of energy. Before the race, we had talked about him riding rather calmly for the first kilometers and then gaining more and more distance gradually. That strategy paid off during the final part of the race because he could hold out rather well. Today’s race will give Jan and the entire team a lot of moral momentum for the coming days. Standing on the podium at the Tour de France is always something special. Because we’re a wildcard team, the expectation is for us to ride aggressively. When you’re honored for doing just that, then it’s even nicer,” says Enrico Poitschke, Sport Director for Team NetApp – Endura, after the awards ceremony. 

Shortly after the starting signal, Jan Barta and his fellow breakaway rider took off. Because neither of them posed a threat in terms of the general classification, the peloton allowed them to gain some distance. The duo managed to build up a maximum lead of 4:30 minutes. While the sprint teams gradually reduced the lead, the breakaway riders worked very well together and put up a good fight during the closing kilometers. Jean-Marie Bideau was caught eight kilometers before the finish, and Barta then hoped that his time trial skills would pay off. Barta held out for a few more kilometers before having to surrender, and then the fast-finishing riders battled it out for the stage win in a sprint royale. In spite of all the joy at having a successful day, Team NetApp – Endura also suffered a setback. Team captain Leo Koenig did not feel well today, and during the final third part of the stage, with rain starting to fall, he lost more than a minute in terms of the general classification. 

Following the stage, the entire Tour retinue is crossing the Channel to the Pas-de-Calais region in France. The fourth stage will get started there tomorrow, traveling 163.5 kilometers from Le Touquet-Paris-Plage to Lille. Once again it will be a stage for sprinters, with one intermediate sprint and two category-four climbs.

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