A breakthrough day in Nadav Raisberg’s career. The reigning Israeli TT champion recorded the biggest result of his career to date and moved into the lead in the points classification after a day-long breakaway on stage 2 of the Tour Auvergne – Rhône-Alpes.
Raisberg finished eighth in Le Puy-en-Velay having been part of a 10-rider group that broke clear shortly after KM0 in the longest stage, a sizeable 234.3 kilometers.
“I don’t think I’ve ever gone that deep – I’ve never, ever felt that,” he says. “I couldn’t pedal on the finish line.
“But in the last 5km, I realized what was possible. On the last climb, I knew I had to give everything. I was super empty already but I believed in myself and having that green jersey in the back of my mind helped me a lot.”
Raisberg started his path to the green jersey in Sunday’s opening stage when he found himself in a short-lived breakaway, which allowed him to take maximum points at the day’s intermediate sprint, located inside the first 25 kilometers.
By the time he crossed the line first in today’s sprint at Saint-Bonnet-le-Froid, ahead of his nine breakaway companions, he had been at the head of the race for 140 kilometers.
The 25-year-old was distanced on the Côte des Baraques with 30 kilometers remaining, but managed to finish ahead of the peloton to take 10 more crucial points, giving him a five-point advantage over stage winner Anthon Charmig in the standings ahead of tomorrow’s team time trial.
He adds: “Nothing compares to taking the green jersey in a race like this – it’s something you dream of, and that dream came true.
“I didn’t expect to be in the breakaway today – I was trying to help Marco [Frigo] get in the move. But 230km in the break, all day in the wind, I don’t think I’ve ever suffered in this way before.
“But I knew the green jersey was on the table, so I did everything I could to get it. I’m super happy to get it, and a top-10 in a WorldTour race, I can be super proud of myself. Thanks to the team for the opportunity.”