Laengen close to the top 15 on the dirty roads

UAE Team Emirates’ most northerner cyclist was the first athlete of the team at the arrival of the Northern cycling Classic which took place in the South, which is the Strade Bianche.

The Norwegian rider Vegard Stake Laengen, who was born in Oslo (latitude 59° 54′ 45 N) obtained the 16th place in the charming Tuscan race (photo Bettini), which is a World Tour event.

The difficulty level of the race (175 km with start from Siena and arrival in Siena in Piazza del Campo), which are mainly the 11 dirty roads sectors (total 61,9 km), was raised by the weather conditions: the rain felt on the course and the white dust turned in slippery grounds.

The Emirati team did not succeed in being represented in the main breakaway of 6 riders which led the race for many kilometers, despite the attempts in the early kilometers which were made by Durasek, Modolo, Troia and Ravasi.
Behind the attackers, the main group was selected at every passage on the dirty roads sectors and had to face some crashes: only Laengen managed to pedal behind the top favourites and he gave up at 20 km to the arrival, when Stybar, Wellens, Van Avermaet and Kwiatkowski started the final battle for the victory, which was obtained by the Polish rider thanks to an attack in the last dirty road sector.

UAE Team Emirates’ riders to reach the arrival were Laengen (16th at 5’41”), Marcato (47th) and Mohoric (80th).

“We were aware that we needed to anticipate if we’d want to try to be in the top 10: despite our attempts, we could not be in the main breakaway – sports director Maini explained – The teams of the favourites led a soft chase, then accelerate the speed vehemently and the bunch was crumbled: good performance for Laengen, who resisted to the high pace and obtained the 16th place.

Vegar could rely on his power to avoid that the bike slippered on the mud, however his height did not helped him in driving the bike in the windiest sectors of the course: we are be satisfied about his results.

It’s interesting to note that, in this kind of race in which the bikes are exposed to strong strains, we had only one flat tyre, in addition to a chain problem which forced Mohoric to chase the bunch and to waste energies in a key moment of the race“.

RESULTS
1- Kwiatkowski 4h42’42”
2- Van Avermaet 15″
3- Wellens 17″
4- Stybar 23″
5- Dumoulin 1’26”
16- Laengen 5’41”
47- Marcato 13’38”, 80- Mohoric 22’52”, Ravasi dnf, Troia dnf, Niemiec dnf, Modolo dnf, Durasek dnf