UAE Team Emirates take 1-2 victory at Tour de Suisse

UAE Team Emirates put on a strong display on the final climb of stage 5 of the Tour de Suisse (Ambrì-Carì, 148,6 km) thanks to a perfect team performance that allowed Adam Yates win the stage and to consolidate his leadership in the GC. Also João Almeida crossed the finish line behind the team mate to maintain the second position in the GC.

The team directed by the DS duo Fabrizio Guidi and Simone Pedrazzini controlled the main breakaway of the day limiting the advantage, then the UAE Team Emirates riders accelerated the pace on the final climb, 10,2 km at 8%, heavily selecting the head bunch.
When at 6,5 km to go Almeida took the head of the group after the work of Del Toro, only four riders were left with him: the leader Adam Yates, Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers), Enric Mas (Movistar), Matthew Riccitello (Israel-Premier Tech).
The high pace of the Portuguese rider was the prelude to two accelerations from Adam Yates at -1,5 km and in the final kilometers that gave him the victory with 5” on Almeida who had worked hard previously.

The 39 victories for UAE Team Emirates allowed Adam Yates and João Almeida to strengthen their leadership in the GC: the British rider is in 1st place with 35” on his team mate and 1’11” on Egan Bernal.

Yates: “It was a very strong performance, João kept a a crazy pace in the final part of the climb, after that Ineos had kept a pace very hard in the first two climbs.
In the team we all are in super shape and super motivated. Being two guys from the same team in the first two places of the GC is a good position for us and we had super team mates who could work for us”.

In stage 6, Locarno-Blatten (151,4 km), the cyclists will face again climbs (Neufenenn Pass, 21,9 km at 6%, and the final climb of Blatten, 5,8 km at 8,8%).

Stage 5 results
1.⁠ ⁠Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) 3h54’37”
2.⁠ ⁠João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) +5”
3.⁠ ⁠Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) +16”

General classification after stage 5
1.⁠ ⁠Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates) 15h44’35”
2.⁠ ⁠João Almeida (UAE Team Emirates) +35”
3.⁠ ⁠Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers) +1’11”