Fourth at the finish, Max proved once again his time trial skills, which brought him numerous top results in the U23 ranks.
The penultimate Quick-Step Floors rider to roll down the ramp in the 4.8km Tour de Romandie prologue held in tricky weather conditions in Aigle, where it rained heavily since the beginning of the day, Maximilian Schachmann arrived at the finish mouth gasping for air, stopping the clock in 6:05 and concluding the day only eight seconds down on winner Fabio Felline (Trek-Segafredo) and just one second shy off the podium.
The 23-year-old German, a runner-up at the U23 World ITT Championships in Doha, shrugged off the disappointment of missing out on the best young rider jersey of the race and instead saw the bright side of things at the end of the day, after notching up his best result since joining Quick-Step Floors four months ago, ahead of many seasoned pros.
"It's a pity I didn't come in the top three, but I still am very happy with my result, especially as I wasn't expecting to have such a strong ride in a prologue. The parcours was tricky, slippery and technical, with a fast descent and a 90 degree left corner, and to finish fourth in such conditions exceeded my expectations. In the next stages I will help our team leaders and if all goes well, I will fancy again my chances in the Lausanne time trial", a delighted Max said after the stage.
Bob Jungels, who is racing the Tour de Romandie after impressing at Amstel Gold Race and Fleche Wallonne, was another Quick-Step Floors rider to produce a fine time, finishing the prologue in 13th place, a result which underlines his general classification credentials at the Suisse race.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele
