The result could not have been more dramatic, with Dutch sprinter Dylan Groenewegen crashing less than 10 kilometres from the finish line of stage three of the 2022 Tour de France and having to cycle very hard to catch up to the peloton.
There were emotional scenes at the finish line, with BikeExchange-Jayco Team Owner Gerry Ryan and manager Brent Copeland joining the celebrations.
Groenewegen managed to pull out this spirited win after finishing a disappointing 8th in stage two. Stage four will be a 171.5-kilometere hilly affair from Dunkerque to Calais, testing riders’ resolve and planning.
#TDF2022
— Team BikeExchange-Jayco (@GreenEDGEteam) July 3, 2022
THIS IS WHAT IT MEANS 💙💙💙 pic.twitter.com/PlegLKV4QE
The win has been a long time coming for the Australian squad and acts as Groenewegen’s Tour de France redemption following an on-track collision in 2020 that resulted in a nine-month ban for the Dutch rider.
What a fantastic effort. They knew they weren’t far away on Saturday and they just stuck to the plan again. Racing is about planning, it’s about persistence and it’s about having the right people and the right team. I’m very fortunate that it’s a great organisation.
Gerry Ryan, BikeExchange-Jayco Team Owner
This victory, a pivotal moment for the team, comes off the back of an incredibly successful quarter for its major sponsors, BikeExchange in Europe. The company has recently announced its Kitzuma Travel Hub — a service that assists athletes in the transport of their competition-ready bikes — and is gearing up for a potentially stellar new financial year.
We’re extremely proud of the team, and are excited for them and the win. The Tour is our industry’s biggest and most historic race. BikeExchange has always been a place for bike enthusiasts, and we will continue to support the sport, and its competitors in any way we can
Dominic O’Hanlon, BikeExchage Non-Executive Director
The tour will now move 900 kilometres South West from Copenhagen to the north of France, with riders enjoying the first rest day of the tour since the Grand Départ from Copenhagen.
Shares in BikeExchange were up 10.34 per cent to 3.2 cents at 12:22 pm AEST.