Tulett leaves GC champions trailing at Tour du Var

“Brutal” first mountains experience sees promising GC finish for British youngster in a race packed with hitters

- James Shrubsall

Having spent the winter getting some big road miles in for the first time instead of racing cyclocross, young Brit Ben Tulett reaped the rewards at last weekend’s Tour des Alpes Maritimes et du Var, where he finished 17th on GC in a field packed with stars.

Fellow Briton Tao Geoghegan Hart came in 10th overall following second place on the final stage.

Riding in his second year for AlpecinFenix, 19-year-old Tulett posted a GC finish ahead of some of the biggest names in Grand Tour cycling: Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers, 26th) and Thibaut Pinot (Groupama-FDJ, 35th), to name two.

It all followed a big-mountains baptism of fire that Tulett described as brutal.

“Yesterday was the first time that I’ve ever raced in the mountains,” he said of the third and final stage, which took in three cat-one climbs, including the Col de la Madone.

“I knew I could climb well, but doing it in a race it’s very different. It was also my first time experiencing the trains on the climbs where a team will sit on the front and work, and it will just fall apart from the back,” he said.

“It was pretty brutal,” he added. “You know, every climb yesterday we raced. It was a tough day.”

The GC race was won by Gianluca Brambilla (Trek-Segafredo). He attacked to win the final stage over the Madone to Blausasc near Nice, leaving erstwhile yellow jersey Michael Woods (ISN) rueing mechanical problems and trailing in second on GC, five seconds behind.