A small update of our biggest successes in the last months, which we can pin down to four races. To be fair, the fact that we're still somewhat in the fight to avoid relegation succeeds our expectations, so we are definitely not complaining. In fact, since we already calculated relegation in the team's future planning, we would have a problem if we actually stayed in PT
First of all, two great highlights in the first GT of the year, the Giro d'Italia. Kristoffer Halvorsen sprinted to an early victory in stage three, making it his second stage win in two GT's in a row, with his win in the Vuelta last year.
And later in the race Orluis Aular went on to win the penultimate stage in great fashion, also leading to a top-10 in the final GC and fourth place in the KoM-ranking.
A bit unexpected perhaps, but a big highlight came in the Tour of East Java. Three flat stages and one mountainous queen stage, and it is on that stage where the chickens rose up. Philipinian national champion Jonel Carcueva finished fourth, just ahead of Orluis Aular, leading to two great GC results for us there.
Next GT then, with the Tour de France. Although he came close several times on both hilly and mountainous terrain, Sergio Higuita was unable to snatch a stage win in France. A good GC also wasn't an option after a terrible team time trial for him, but he did make us proud with the win in the KoM-rankings, stepping in the footsteps of another legendary Colombian hybrid, Edward Beltrán.
Also a great result very recently in the Deutschland Tour for our homegrown and trained Victor Alejandro Ocampo. Fourth in the individual time trial and final GC, definitely couldn't hope for anything better than that.
Only a handful of races remaining now, including of course another GT and a monument. A stage win in the Vuelta would be fantastic, but it remains to be seen if Aular likes the profile of the race.