28 January 2016
IAM Cycling
THE EXPLANATION
For the first race of the season on European soil, and the first racing number to be pinned to his jersey for the 2016 year, Jonas Van Genechten managed to grab an honest sixth place in the sprint stage won by André Greipel (Soudal-Lotto). «As I had expected, the finale was very nervous,» Van Genechten explained. «With twenty kilometers to go to the finish, the team began to ride at the front of the pack; my teammates did atremendous job of work for me, helping me to position myself well. The race was not too hard, so that meant that there were many of us fighting for the front positions. Consequently, placing yourself well was essential. The last kilometer was a slight descent and there was a lot of bumping and rubbing shoulders. I probably started my sprint from a little too farout. But I am optimistic and reassured about my physical condition. The start of any season brings with it a big question mark, and the result of this first race bodes well.»
THE NUMBER
46.2 km/h. This is the average speed with which the pack spedthrough the first hour of racing on Thursday.
THE CHANGES
With more climbing on the menu, the second stage of the Mallorca Challenge will require some changes to the competing riders for IAM Cycling. Therefore, Vegard Stake Laegen and Pirmin Lang will be replaced by Stefan Denifl and Larry Warbasse.
Race picture – Luis Angel Gomez/BettiniPhoto©2016
