Second consecutive victory in the Garden Hotels-Luxcom Mallorca Cycling Challenge for the Intermarché–Wanty–Gobert rider, Kobe Goossens, after winning the Serra de Tramuntana Trophy, starting and finishing in Lloseta. The Belgian team thus adds its third victory in the four Trophies held so far, after the success of Rui Costa on the opening day.
The Belgian rider went on the attack three kilometers from the finish ahead of the small group of the best, including Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto DSTNY) and Ilan Van Wilder (Soudal Quick-Step), who completed the podium of the day, ahead of Lilian Calmejane, the winner’s teammate.
The Serra de Tramuntana Trophy initially had 155 kilometres, but the organisation, due to the red alert existing on the Island due to snow, has reduced it to 123. The first attacker of the day was the Dutch champion Pascal Eenkhoorn (Lotto DSTNY), who Matteo Trentin and Rémi Cavagna joined, among others. But the peloton reduced the leading group for the first ascent of Coll de Femenias. That’s where the race really exploded.
Different escapes where Julian Alaphilippe, Goossens, Calmejane, Carthy were always involved, in the slippery descent new attempts that do not bear fruit. Four kilometers from the finish line, Calmejane lit the fuse. The French Intermarché-Circus-Wanty runner made a small hole that held him for a long time, but he was eventually caught up. From that moment on, a strong attack from his teammate Kobe Goossens. The advantage was immediately great, managing to hold out until the finish line in a gruesome day marked again by cold and rain.
Tomorrow concludes the XXXII edition of the Garden Hotels-Luxcom Mallorca Cycling Challenge with the Trofeu Palma, 141.6 kilometres, starting and finishing in front of the Cathedral of Palma.