Giovanni Lonardi raises his arms in Valencia

Perfect race for EOLO Kometa, with a sprint finish in which Lonardi was the smartest and took the victory in the first race of the season.

It was a dream start for the team, who took the victory after working and controlling the race all day. Marton Dina was the star of the breakaway that covered most of the stage, building up a gap of more than three minutes.

But the work behind doomed the chances of this breakaway and EOLO Kometa himself was caught up in the chase. With the confidence to contest the mass finish, and a great job in the last kilometres, Lonardi took advantage of his excellent position after the last corner to sprint and raise his arms to the finish line.

Giovanni Lonardi: “I must confess that I did not expect to go so well. It was quite a cold race, it rained a lot….. In the end we were quite lucky, avoiding some accidents. My teammates guided me perfectly and I only had to ride the last 200 metres to win. In the end there were a lot of crashes, the road was a bit wet and we did well to stay in front, avoiding problems. The next objectives are to do well in Mallorca over the next few days, trying to repeat the victory”.

Jesús Hernández: “The script was made and we were able to respond. We saved trouble with a presence in the breakaway and a very nervous finale. We were able to avoid crashes, play the trump card of Lonardi, who showed his condition as a pure sprinter, and take the first win of the season which always helps to boost morale”.

Maurizio Borserini