A group of drivers returning to Belgium last night (4/12) faced the 197-kilometer-long La Fleche Brabanconne, a one-day event that took the European Tour's highest 1.hc and was the outpost of the Ardennes Classic. After the baptism of the stone road, Bahrain Merida this station by the sprint master Colebreli personally, and teammate Bole joined the breakout, and finally with the advantage of horsepower, raised his hands on the finish line, not only for the personal second victory of the year, but also to celebrate the bahrain team's first victory in the spring classics!
After the start of the race, a total of 6 players broke through, the maximum lead was approaching 7 minutes, bahrain Merida team did not participate in the first wave of attack, the first half of the chase was led by the quick-step floors and the sunweb team (sunweb); as the chase increased, the second difference in the hands of the rabbits was gradually swallowed by the large group.
87 km ahead of the finish line, the lead of five players is still 2 minutes and 30 seconds, while the Bahrain team still has 4 members on the front line of the main group, which seems to be in quite ideal condition. Entering the final round-robin stage, Grega Bole, Sonny Colbrelli and Enrico Gasparotto were waiting for an opportunity, and the No. 1 and No. 2 players we set were in the best strategic position.
The 50-kilometer offensive resumed before the finish line, and the runners pulled out a long human dragon in the downhill high-speed section, which broke the day's breakthrough. In the attack at the back, a total of 13 members, including our Bole and Colebreli, the second main general Gasparotto has Biernick, Wang Meiyin, Cortina and other people to assist, this bold attempt, became the turning point of the whole game. The direct energie convoy that failed to join the attack, now leading the way in the big group, was tasked with pursuing.
However, the closer they got to the finish line, the more fierce the rear pursuit became, and From time to time, Boley and Colbelli put pressure on the rabbits in an attempt to maintain the lead in the hands of the Bahraini team; since some of the leading members were still in the main group, not everyone was willing to join the division of labor. At this point, the rear was chased by the cannondale-drapac team.
In the last 8 km, the rabbits still held a half-minute lead, Bole retreated at 5 km, and the big group attacked with full force in the penultimate climb, once again threatening the few seconds left for the rabbits, at which point Tim Wellens and petr vakoc, who was trying to defend the title, participated in the chase, they were only 10 seconds away from the lead group, and the finish line was less than 2 km.
When the pursuing duo successfully joined the front, Colbelli did not move at this point, because he knew he had the speed advantage. The Bahrain lord will only wait calmly until the range he has set before attacking, and the acceleration of the sprint master will shoot a deadly shot, making him the protagonist of the hands raised before the finish line. Taking brabant's arrow lightly, the Italian player not only picked up the second victory of the season, but also once again proved that the strength of Bahrain Merida is beyond doubt!
"I'm very happy to win for myself and the team." Colbrely, who had reached the finish line, said happily. "After the whole fierce race, I was desperate to win for the team, because I was worried that the breakthrough would be broken by the main group, the mood during the race was tense, and the decisive moment of the sprint was once squeezed by Wacotka to the guardrail, but I finally found the space to win this event!" 」 He finished 6th on this site last year, and this time he finally fulfilled his wish, and the next goal of the main player is to point to this Sunday's amstelgold race.
Tristan Hoffman, the sports director who led the team, shared with joy on the faces of the team members: "I am quite satisfied with the performance of every member of the team, including the team staff, mechanics, masseuses; Colbreli showed superior sprinting ability, confirming that he is the best performer in all the team, and the performance of the other teammates is also remarkable, I am happy for them!" 」
The Bank of America, which successfully completed the race, also shared his post-match experience: "I am in better shape than before, and I have begun to adapt to this rhythm." In the high-speed stage, the task of Bank of America and its teammates is to assist the main drivers to lead the ride before the finish circle and save their physical strength as much as possible; participated in the first win in Europe, and the first victory of the Bahrain Merida in the spring classics, he said: "Of course, it is very happy, the whole team is super happy, I hope that I can always maintain this state, I can strive for good performance, but to help my teammates achieve good results, is the most important first!" 」
2017 La Fleche Brabanconne Results:
Sony Colbelli 1st place
Enrico Gasparotto 14th
Luka Pibernik 42nd
Grega Bole 72nd
Ivan Garcia Cortina 86th
Wang Meiyin 98th
David Pell did not finish the match