Development Mathias De Keersmaeker sprints to second place at Paris-Tours Espoirs

Lotto-Groupe Wanty played its cards well. “With Tars (Poelvoorde) and Halvor (Dolven) up the road, we were in a perfect position in the peloton. The pace was high on the climbs, which quickly split the peloton into several groups. I always stayed well positioned and, with 35 kilometres to go, we caught the leading group,” De Keersmaeker recalls.

In the finale, De Keersmaeker found himself in a group of around fifteen riders alongside Dolven. European champion Álvarez then broke away solo. “It quickly became clear that he was on another level today.”

De Keersmaeker and Dolven remained in the chasing group and prepared for the sprint for the remaining podium places. “Halvor made sure I could launch my sprint in the perfect position. I won the sprint for second place quite comfortably. We rode a strong race as a team, and I’m very happy to finish the season on a high.”

Photo: A.S.O.