Coming back to race 70 days after a serious crash and getting immediately to the 14th place of a short stages race is not a simple challenge, but if you are Chris Horner, everything could be easier.
The American from Team LAMPRE-MERIDA (photo Bettini, archive) had to face huge efforts in trainings and use all his grind on the roads of Tour de Slovenieto achieve this amazing goal.
The final stage, 153 km from Skofja Loka to Novo Mesto with arrival suitable for sprinter, did not change the overall ranking, so Horner could keep the 14th place, at 2’15″ to the winner Machado.
In the massive sprint in Novo Mesto, Bonifazio obtained the 7th place, while Viviani won the stage.
Bonifazio explained :”I’ve been suffering in the past couple of days for a pain on my knee. Tram doctors are monitoring the situation, but I really wanted to honor the race until the end, so I fought in the sprint.
It was important to reach a bridge at 150 mt in the head position, I achieved to do so, but then two riders overtook me and I could not recover positions”.
STAGE RESULTS
1- Viviani 3h24’15″
2- Grosu s.t.
3- Matthews s.t.
4- Bozic s.t.
7- Bonifazio s.t.
13- Cimolai s.t., 37- Horner s.t., 43- Mori s.t., 58- Pozzato s.t., 65- Polanc s.t., 97- Xu, 116- Ulissi s.t.
FINAL OVERALL CLASSIFICATION
1- Machado 1h44’58″
2- Zakarin 23″
3- Rabottini 33″
4- Koren 35″
14- Horner 2’15″
