The AlUla Tour in Saudi Arabia was Matteo Sobrero’s debut race in the colours of BORA - hansgrohe. The Italian rider immediately demonstrated leadership qualities, finishing the race in fourth place. Thanks to a strong team performance, BORA - hansgrohe also secured the victory in the team classification.
In the end, it was a matter of just a few metres. After a fierce battle on the final climb of the AlUla Tour's fifth stage, Matteo Sobrero was just a few seconds behind the leading group. For the Italian, this was a significant achievement. He finished the race in fourth place in the overall standings, just twelve seconds behind the winner, Simon Yates from Great Britain. "Even though we missed the podium, I'm happy. After all, this was my very first race for BORA - hansgrohe," he said at the finish.
A leader from day one on
Sobrero, after his winter transfer from Jayco AlUla to BORA - hansgrohe, demonstrated his skills throughout all five days of the AlUla Tour. He collected crucial bonus seconds in the intermediate sprints for the overall standings and was fully alert when it came to the decisions of each stage. This included today’s fifth stage, where he was able to keep pace with renowned climbers like Simon Yates for a long time. "In fact, I was close to finishing at the very front," Sobrero said, adding that he will be heading home with a positive feeling: "This was the first race. If we continue like this, the shape will get even better – and the results will come."
BORA - hansgrohe Wins Team Classification
Rolf Aldag, the Sports Director, was also happy with Sobrero’s performance: "We aimed for the top five and managed to secure fourth place. With a bit of luck, we could have aimed even higher since Matteo would have had a strong chance in a potential sprint finish. Overall, it was an impressive debut for him." Aldag also praised the performance of the entire team, referring to the fact that BORA - hansgrohe was able to secure the victory in the team classification of the Saudi Arabian stage race. "We started with only five instead of seven riders. The fact that we still managed to win the team classification underlines the determination and spirit shown by everyone here. Major kudos to the team.”
Final Standings AlUla Tour 2024
1 YATES Simon Team Jayco AlUla 18:37:05
2 LECERF William Junior Soudal - Quick Step + 0:03
3 FISHER-BLACK Finn UAE Team Emirates + 0:03
4 SOBRERO Matteo BORA - hansgrohe + 0:12
5 BRAMBILLA Gianluca Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team + 0:18
Photo: Sprint Cycling Agency