At the end of a grueling four-week-long Spanish campaign that included forays into Mallorca, Valenciana, Murcia, and Almeria, Rally UHC Cycling closed their Spanish tour with an incredible fifth place finish for Colin Joyce in the Vuelta a Andalucía finale.
Much like the closing kilometers of stage two where Colin Joyce finished 11th, the team seized control of the peloton with seven kilometers remaining in stage five to deliver Colin Joyce to fifth place in the uphill sprint finale.
“The team rode amazing today,” said Joyce. “We had a plan, we stuck to it and it delivered a solid result for the whole team. I’m grateful for the opportunity to race for the win but my first thoughts are of the team and how they rode unbelievably and totally sold out for me.”
Going into their second season in the Professional Continental ranks, Team Director Pat McCarty has seen a measurable improvement beyond the results sheet. The team is executing their plan against the world’s top teams on a consistent basis.
“Races like today reaffirm what we already knew – we are on the right track and building a competitive team with a group of North American riders,” said McCarty. “We’re competing in bigger races against tougher competition and I’m really pleased to see the guys riding so well as a team.”
WorldTour veteran and team captain Svein Tuft joined the team from Mitchelton-Scott at the end of last season, something McCarty believes has helped in the program’s growth.
“Svein Tuft deserves a lot of credit for helping organize the attitude and culture around this kind of teamwork,” said McCarty. “He’s a proven leader and the guys now have the confidence and skill to take advantage of it.”
Stage five results (Otura › Alhaurín de la Torre – 163.9k)
1 TRENTIN Matteo Mitchelton-Scott 3:58:19
2 SANZ Enrique Euskadi Basque – Murias ,,
3 BARBERO Carlos Movistar Team ,,
4 VAN DER SANDE Tosh Lotto Soudal ,,
5 JOYCE Colin Rally UHC Cycling ,,
6 MOHORIČ Matej Bahrain Merida ,,
7 LOBATO Juan José Nippo Vini Fantini Faizanè ,,
8 BOOM Lars Roompot – Charles ,,
9 PRADES Eduard Movistar Team ,,
10 KRUIJSWIJK Steven Team Jumbo-Visma ,,
