FOLLOW THE GOOD IMAGE OF THE ‘BLUES’
ONLY KOPECKY (LIV) COULD HANDLE THE WORK OF AN OUTSTANDING ‘TELEPHONE’ SQUAD, WHICH DOMINATED ALL PHASES OF THE RACE ON THE COBBLED WALLOON.
The Movistar Team’s leap in level and confidence in 2021 became evident again this Tuesday at Le Samyn des Dames (UCI 1.1), the second appointment of the season for the telephone companies on a tough circuit in the Belgian town of Dour (92 km), with up to four complicated sections of pavé.
Emma Norsgaard repeated her 2nd place in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad after being beaten only by Belgian champion Lotte Kopecky (LIV) in a very long sprint where the Blues supported the Danish until the finish line.
The solidity of the women led by Pablo Lastras in Walloon lands was unflappable. Alicia González and Alba Teruel covered the different cuts together with the debutant Sara Martín; Aude Biannic and Jelena Erić stretched the group with numerous attacks on the last lap; and Norsgaard, who had already been part of a dangerous cut of five with Kopecky herself about 30 km from the end, enlisted the help of Barbara Guarischi and Biannic herself to launch a sprint where she was overcome in the last meters.
Second podium, therefore, in as many races for a Movistar Team that will attend its first WorldTour commitment this Saturday with high spirits, the Strade Bianche , again with Annemiek van Vleuten in the running.
Cover image (c): Photo Gomez Sport