After winning stage 3 on the steep slopes of La Planche des Belles Filles, Sebastian Berwick has secured the overall win at Tour Alsace riding for the IPT Academy.
23-year-old Berwick takes confidence from his win, with form he can carry into the second part of his season.
“To get the stage win and GC win is super nice and very much a relief more than anything. We had some young guys at this race and they did an amazing job at helping me hold the jersey until the end so it’s a super team effort. Now I’m keen to continue this run into the next races,” said Berwick.
Sports Director Rene Mandri praised the team’s hard work in protecting Berwick’s lead, particularly on the tough and tactical stage 4.
“We came to the race with the clear idea to get at a minimum a podium but we were certain with Seb’s climbing capabilities and the La Planche des Belles Filles on the third stage, that we could really go for the win. Seb had great legs and he won La Planche des Belles Filles with no real contenders able to follow his tempo. We just protected him from that moment on until today’s stage and the team worked really well around him. Yesterday was a really hard stage, 200 kilometers, left right, up, down, and the team did the job perfectly. Today was easier even though there was a hard climb in the finale, as we knew that Seb would have the legs to match the others, so it was really all about the great ride from the guys on yesterday’s tactical stage in order to secure the GC. I am really proud of this young team,” added Mandri.
