After Pascal Eenkhoorn had won the first stage of Coppi e Bartali earlier today, Team LottoNL-Jumbo successfully defended its leading position in the general classification. The team finished fourth in the team time trial.

Eenkhoorn was happy with the pace during the race. “I didn’t feel super strong, but I could keep up with the pace. We really went very fast”, the youngster said afterwards. “In the end, there were five of us left, finishing just behind the number two and three in about the same time. It’s nice that I got some extra time in the general classification because of it.”

Tomorrow’s stage is a difficult one, but Eenkhoorn remains calm. “We’ll see how we survive. It’s not just about me. We also have Neilson Powless and Koen Bouwman who are positioned well in the standings. At least good enough to ride for them.”

He got an overhelming amount of reactions on his first victory as a professional, earlier today. “Too many to answer all of them. My phone is on the charger now, so I will be able to answer everyone later. Of course my main focus was on performance.”