Tinkoff-Saxo’s team captain Rafal Majka finished in a select group of favorites behind stage winner Thibaut Pinot on the toughest day of Tour de Romandie. The performance sent Majka climbing in the GC, where he sits 11th going into the final TT.
 
After yet another wet day of racing, the favorites were set to face each other on the last of four 1st category climbs finishing atop Champex-Lac. Rafal Majka finished in the first chasing group together with pre-race favorites Chris Froome and Nairo Quintana after having received support from his teammates during the mountainous stage. However, according to Tinkoff-Saxo’s sports director Bruno Cenghialta, Majka could have achieved more.
 
"Rafal didn't seem convinced he would be able to do what he wanted to do. He was strong, he had the legs but he wasn't decisive enough to take the risk when he had to. He made a small mistake, when he went behind Romain Bardet. He hesitated and didn't continue. The group then bridged the gap and when Thibaut Pinot attacked, followed by Ilnur Zakarin, he remained in the group with Nairo Quintana and Chris Froome. He hesitated for a short while and missed the chance to, possibly, achieve something better. Maybe it wasn't easy to win the stage but at least he could have, potentially, aimed at second or third place”, says Bruno Cenghialta.
 

After a dip during the early season races, Rafal Majka’s shape is on the ascendency, according to Cenghialta.
 
“He’s in good form, he raced well in this hard stage and as we saw, only the top favorites remained at the finish. Maybe this brief moment of insecurity and hesitation was a result of him not being at 100% of the target shape. He still hasn't reached his peak form and while he's getting there, it might happen that at moments he's missing that small spark that could have allowed him to follow Pinot or Zakarin”, adds Cenghialta, who believes that entering the top 10 could be possible.
 
“Rafal is focused now on tomorrow's individual time trial. He will give his best there in order to secure a final GC spot in the top 10", concludes Tinkoff-Saxo's sport director.