ProTeam Lotto-Intermarché opens Tour de Wallonie with two top-10 finishes

“Victor (Van de Putte) did an excellent job controlling the breakaway and in the final thirty kilometres the race really came to life, with Liam (Slock) constantly alert and involved,” Menten said afterwards. “I rode the best sprint I could, but I only managed to find a gap quite late.”

For a long time, the first stage looked like a controlled sprint stage, but the short climbs along the route created enough tension in the peloton. The pace increased further in the finale and several attacks followed, with Liam Slock among the protagonists. Several teams then had to reposition themselves before everything came down to a bunch sprint, won by Jordi Meeus.

Menten also reflected on his role in the finale, which had originally been planned around leading out Arnaud De Lie. “The plan was to stay with Arnaud and do his lead-out for the sprint,” Menten explained. “I was disappointed that I couldn’t help him, because I think I had the legs to deliver a really good lead-out.”

For De Lie, however, the finale turned out to be particularly unfortunate, as he suffered setbacks at crucial moments. He had to change bikes once and was held up twice by a puncture. The second incident came with just three kilometres remaining and effectively ended his chances of contesting the sprint.

Lotto-Intermarché will have another opportunity tomorrow in the second stage, which takes the peloton from Jodoigne to Libramont-Chevigny.

Photo: PhotoNews