LottoNL-Jumbo lead-out improves in Eurométropole
Tom Van Asbroeck placed sixth in the second stage of the Tour de l’Eurométropole. The lead-out of his team-mates worked for the Belgian sprinter, but he wasn’t able to stop Jonas Van Genechten (IAM Cycling) from winning the stage.
Tom Van Asbroeck and his Team LottoNL-Jumbo team-mates were not completely happy with their preparation of the bunch sprint in stage one. The Belgian wasn’t in the right place at the right time, which limited his chances to win the stage.
“That went a lot better, today,” Van Asbroeck said after the second stage of the race. “The guys led me out in a good way. Mike Teunissen was the last man in the lead-out and he did a good job, as well. We got boxed in a little bit, which forced us to lose some position in the end. That was the only point to improve from today’s lead-out. I started the sprint in 20th position and finished sixth in the end. That proves that it could have been better.”
Bonus seconds
It was quite an exciting race. “There were a lot of hills in the profile and the game of bonus seconds was in our minds, as well,” sports director, Ken Vanmarcke explained. “We didn’t want to put five men in front of the peloton to give Martijn Keizer the chance to earn some bonus seconds. The other teams didn't either, which meant that the bonus seconds were for the escapees. Lotto-Soudal did everything to force a bunch sprint. And we tried to profit. It’s an improvement from yesterday since Tom got his chance to perform.”
The third stage of the Tour de l’Eurométropole should end in a bunch kick another time. “It’s going to be a bunch sprint,” Vanmarcke continued. “But if there’s enough wind, it can be very nervous as well. That can be very interesting.”
