Mühlberger defends overall lead on third stage of Tour of Austria

Gogl loses contact on the descent

Gogl described the decisive moment: "Ich habe zu den Besten gehört, in der technischen Abfahrt haben es Igor Arrieta und Neilson Powless extrem runtergelassen, da habe ich mir schwer getan, ein bisserl zu viel gebremst." His conclusion was mixed: "Mit der Leistung bin ich zufrieden, mit dem Ergebnis nicht", Gogl told ORF. The difficult descent ultimately cost him contact with the leading riders, even though he had felt strong again over the final 400 meters.

Behind Powless, the Swiss rider Jan Christen finished third, 28 seconds back. The leading group had broken away early, but Mühlberger's team always kept the situation under control. "Wir haben es gut kontrolliert, den Abstand in Grenzen gehalten und dann auch Unterstützung von anderen Teams, die das Gesamtklassement absichern wollten, bekommen", Mühlberger described the race from his perspective.

Mühlberger looks ahead to his home stage

Mühlberger, known as the "Glockner King," who had won the first two stages, was satisfied with the performance. "Es ist eigentlich alles nach Plan gelaufen, ich bin sehr zufrieden mit dem Tag", said the rider from Haidershofen, who will contest his "home stage" in Steyr tomorrow. "Ich freue mich, wenn ich viele bekannte Gesichter sehe, sie werden mich am Porscheberg leiden sehen", said the 32-year-old with a view to the expected climb.

Overall classification before the final stage

Mühlberger goes into the fourth stage with a lead of 1:31 minutes over the American Kevin Vermaerke (UAE Team). Third in the overall classification remains the Dutchman Bauke Mollema (Lidl-Trek), 1:41 minutes back. "Aber in der Form, in der sich Gregor befindet, sollte nicht mehr viel anbrennen", a former pro said confidently. Indeed, the chances of the first Austrian overall victory at the Tour of Austria since Ricardo Zoidl in 2013 look exceptionally good.

On Saturday, the peloton faces 170.5 kilometers and 2,325 meters of climbing in the Pyhrn-Priel region, with start and finish in Steyr. The stage will be broadcast live on ORF1 from 3:00 p.m. For Mühlberger, who has since moved his home base to near Salzburg, it is a special "home stage" that he is clearly looking forward to. "Das ist ein unbeschreibliches Gefühl, es kommen sicher viele Verwandte und Bekannte", explained the 32-year-old.

Powless celebrates emotional victory after injury break

Powless, for his part, was impressed by the landscape and announced that he wanted to visit Austria again. "Das Wetter ist schön, es ist so ein schönes Land, um Rad zu fahren. Ich habe noch nicht viel Zeit in Österreich verbracht, aber ich werde sicher mit meiner Familie zurückkommen – jetzt, wo ich so schöne Erinnerungen daran habe", said Powless, who once became the first participant of Indigenous American descent to ride in the Tour de France. The victory in St. Johann was an important emotional moment for him after the health setbacks of the past.

Gogl also pointed to the tactical element in the leading group: "Man geht halt auch nicht das letzte Risiko, wenn man ein paar schwerste Verletzungen gehabt hat", he told ORF, using it to explain his cautious riding on the decisive descent. Austrian fans can nevertheless hope, because Mühlberger's overall lead appears comfortable enough to bring the tour victory home.

The fifth and final stage traditionally finishes in front of the Burgtheater in Vienna on Sunday. Until then, Mühlberger must defend his lead over the demanding stages in Upper Austria. "Jetzt werden wir noch gut regenerieren, gut essen und trinken, dann sind meine Jungs morgen auch wieder bereit", said Mühlberger. His team did feel the strains of the Grossglockner stage, but is ready for the next challenges.