Brady Gilmore claimed his seventh victory of the season today, winning stage 5 of the Volta a Portugal after a flawless lead-out from his IPT Academy teammates.
“I’m super happy. My teammates were amazing today,” Gilmore said after crossing the line. “I’ve had some issues with the heat, and it took me two days to recover, but today I came back and proved that I could win again. These kinds of finishes suit me, and the boys really committed and rode their hearts out. I’m really happy that we already have two wins from this race so far.”
Knowing today’s finish was perfectly suited to Gilmore’s strengths, IPT Academy took control at the front of the peloton in the final part of the stage to ensure the 24-year-old Australian had the best possible shot at the sprint. After a textbook lead-out, Gilmore launched his sprint with 200 meters to go and comfortably held off his rivals.
Sports director, Ruben Plaza, applauded the team’s commitment and execution in delivering Gilmore to the win.
“Our original plan was to wait a bit longer before going to the front, but the boys made a judgment call during the race to start earlier, and it was a great decision! They made that call themselves because they realized nobody else would be able to control it. The fact that they took that initiative on their own was really nice to see. In the end, they delivered a perfect lead-out for Brady. It has been a great day, and we’re now looking forward to celebrating all together tonight!”
In the general classification, Zac Marriage remains in eighth place. Tomorrow, the riders will enjoy a well-deserved rest day before the race resumes with a challenging stage to Guarda on Wednesday.
