A fine second place on the complicated finish in Ružomberok bumped the Belgian to the top of the general classification at Okolo Slovenska.
Yves Lampaert scored his tenth top 3 finish of the season at the race’s longest stage (226.6 kilometers), which took the peloton over five classified climbs: Obrucne, Stranavske, Magurske, Stary Smokovec, and Strbske plese, the last of which which was crested with 70 kilometers to go.
Animated by three riders who braved the cold temperatures and the strong wind, the stage turned out to be a quiet one, despite the escapees pushing their lead out to ten minutes after 80 kilometers. Iljo Keisse and former Czech Champion Petr Vakoč did again a wonderful job, chasing the leaders and clawing back time on the climbs which failed to drop the peloton’s fast men, as expected at the start of the day.
With 20 kilometers remaining, the breakaway got pegged back and the sprinters’ teams moved into position, but their plans were foiled by the cobblestones, a quick succession of four corners and an uphill drag, all stacked inside the last kilometer. Well-positioned going under the flamme rouge, Yves Lampaert moved into the wheel of Eduard Grosu (Delko Marseille) onto the finishing stretch, and even though he couldn’t match the winner’s speed, he took a solid runner-up spot, which brought vital bonus seconds to the 28-year-old Belgian. The bonifications snatched on the line bumped Yves into the overall lead, where he has a three-second advantage over the former yellow jersey with two days left at the Okolo Slovenska.
Photo credit: ©Photo Stancik
Yves Lampaert 
