Triumph in the Holy Land

Published 09/20/2017 · Updated 01/05/2022

Galilee, Playtika Epic Israel, In one of the toughest stage races, Max Holz and Lysander Kiesel from German Technology Racing in Untermünkheim fought it out until the third and final day. According to the regulations, two riders always form a team, the finishing time of the team partners may be a maximum of one minute difference. Already on the first stage, the TURA riders were able to pull over the yellow jersey of the overall leaders with a lead of more than 5 minutes. More than 500 starters, stages between 75 and 110 kilometres and up to 2,000 metres of altitude per day demanded everything from the riders. On the second day, things didn’t go quite as perfectly; while leading, the two GTR riders had to repair two flat feet. After endless exertions, they were able to finish one minute ahead of their direct competitors. On the third and last day, they started the final stage with the yellow jersey. Hans Becking and Didier Bats (CST Sandd American Eagle), the direct chasers, gave everything on this day and Kiesel could not keep up. In the end they forfeited their lead and the victory. In the women’s race, Katrin Leumann and Verena Huber from Switzerland made the overall success perfect with their third win of the day.

On the 65-kilometre final stage, Didier Bats and Hans Becking put on the pressure early on with the aim of making up the 1:35-minute gap in the overall standings against Max Holz and Lysander Kiesel.

And they also managed to shake off the two yellow jersey wearers. “The steep ramps killed us,” Lysander Kiesel said disappointedly at the finish. The duo had fought until the finish line, but already at the second aid station at kilometre 48, 2:20 minutes behind the Dutchman and the Belgian were reported. At the finish they had a 3:35 minute difference as the day’s runners-up.

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“It was all-in today, after all we had a minute and a half to make up”
Didier Bats

bats summarised the motto of the winners. Hans Becking had won the Holy Land stage race in 2016 together with Czech Jiri Novak.

Bats: Three successful days, seen from a distance

The duo had started the tour as favourites, Becking has already achieved three top-20 results in the World Cup this year. But on the first day the two lost more than six minutes, so Holz and Kiesel had hopes for the overall victory. In the end, it was the two defects on the second day that cost the two riders from Untermünkheim the triumph.

They finished second, exactly two minutes behind, and still took one hundred world ranking points back to Germany.

“The two were already stronger than we were the last few days. But it shouldn’t have come to this”, Max Holz complained. After a sliding passage, they had a small gap of ten metres. That would not have been decisive yet, but Kiesel then went through a weak phase and the gap became bigger and bigger.

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“Unfortunately, Lysander didn’t get any more momentum and riding from the front I had no chance alone against Becking and Bats,” said Max Holz. rather disappointed at first. “That’s how team races are, Lysander fought like a lion. With a bit of distance, it was a very successful three days, so it was all good. Points and prize money are a good consolation, after all.”

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