Tour of Britain (st. 5)

Solid blue train keeps Jasha -now 36" behind new GC leader Roglic (TLJ)- fully in contention for a good overall result in Britain; race to be decided atop Whinlatter Pass on Friday.

Jasha Sütterlin had excellent allies in his Movistar team-mates in order to keep alive his aspirations of a good GC result in the 2018 Tour of Britain. The squad directed by José Luis Jaimerena completed one of the Blues’ most consistent team time trials in the current season by taking advantage of their talent uphill, key into an intriguing 14km course finishing atop the Whinlatter Pass (5km at 4%).

A solid, orderly job from Rojas, Barbero, De la Parte, Sepúlveda and Fernández alongside Jasha -the latter four together at the finish- helped the Telefónica backed squad improve from their 9th position at the intermediate check (+24″) and complete their ride in 5th place, 36″ behind winners Lotto-Jumbo, who put Primoz Roglic into the lead after the Slovenian joined Sütterlin on Monday’s crucial break towards Barnstaple’s finish.

The new GC sees Sütterlin still within the top ten (he’s now 7th) before Friday’s decisive stage atop the Whinlatter slope opposite to the team time trial’s, a tougher climb (3.2km, 7% avg.) to be covered twice during an otherwise very hilly 168km parcours.

Picture (c): SWPix