ProTeam Strong fifth place for Steffen De Schuyteneer in stage 17 of the Vuelta

“Three kilometres from the finish, I had a small issue on a short cobbled section, which meant I had to find my way back to Vito (Braet) and Lars (Craps) on my own.  Reuben (Thompson) had already done a really good job before that. In the finale, I lost them again, but luckily Lorenzo (Rota) then did his best to bring me back to the front.”

As a result, De Schuyteneer had to come from a long way back in the final metres. “In the last corner, I came through in around 20th position, which was actually a little too far back for me. I knew I had to move up as quickly as possible and managed to squeeze through to launch my sprint. In the end, I started a little too late, but because I had so much speed coming from behind, I still managed to finish fifth.”

After a hectic finale, De Schuyteneer was pleased with his performance. “I have mixed feelings because I felt there might have been more in it, but after the crash and the difficult days, I’m definitely happy with this result and grateful for the great work from the team.”

Photo: PhotoNews