You win some and you lose some…but in Ole Theiler’s eyes, Stage 2 of the Tour de l’Avenir should have been his. There’s no rule in cycling that says you have to help your opponent beat you, and Ludovico Crescioli definitely knew this in the finale of the 170.2 km stage from Mouchard to Plateau d’Hauteville.
The German and Italian riders went clear with 6 km to go in the stage, and had a 15-second gap on the pack. Theiler was clearly doing the lion’s share of the work, with Crescioli sitting on.
Italian couldn’t pull through
“He didn’t want to help. He said he couldn’t pull,” the German said. “I said to him, fine, but then I want to win. He said OK and agreed that I would win.”
But with 150 m to go, the Italian sprinted past him, taking the win. As Crescioli threw his arms in the air, Theiler flipped him the bird. When asked about the finale, Crescioli said it was all part of the plan. “We talked a bit, yes. I followed him. It was a tactic of mine, and in the end, I won,” he said matter-of-factly.
The Tour of the future
In the end, history remembers the winner—so whatever deal they may have made, or seemed to have made, won’t matter.
The German currently rides for the Continental team, Team Storck – Metropol Cycling. The Tour de l’Avenir—the little sibling of the Tour de France—is often seen as a predictor for future pros.
Notable winners include Spain’s Miguel Induráin, who claimed the title in 1986 before going on to win five consecutive Tour de France titles from 1991 to 1995. Laurent Fignon, who took victory in 1982, also made his mark by winning the Tour de France twice, in 1983 and 1984. Colombian climbers Nairo Quintana and Egan Bernal, who won in 2010 and 2017 respectively, went on to secure Grand Tour victories. Quintana won the Giro d’Italia in 2014 and the Vuelta a España in 2016. Bernal became the first South American to win the Tour de France in 2019. Slovenia’s Tadej Pogačar, who you may have heard of, also won the event in 2018. France’s David Gaudu also won in 2016.
Canadian Michael Leonard won the prologue, and although he lost the leader’s jersey after Stage 1, he has bounced back to third overall, with four stages to go.
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