Two riders in the top ten overall for Soudal Quick-Step.
Andrea Raccagni became the first Italian to take home the white jersey at Tour Down Under – the season’s opening World Tour race – in addition to finishing sixth on the general classification, all these just one day before turning 22.
The final day of the event played out over a demanding circuit that concluded with the climb of Mount Barker Road in Stirling, which returned after six years. Soudal Quick-Step went on the attack immediately, first with Fabio Van Den Bossche, then with Pepijn Reinderink. As soon as they were brought back, Pascal Eenkhoorn rolled the dice and powered clear together with two other riders, forming what became the break of the day, one that put three minutes into the peloton.
Eenkhoorn won both intermediate sprints of the stage, remaining off the front until the penultimate lap when the bunch overhauled the move, but his efforts didn’t go unnoticed and he was rewarded with the most combative prize at the end of the stage.
On the climb to the finish, which averaged 4%, the field split, leaving a group of 30-odd riders in contention for victory. Raccagni was again present, just like on the previous stage, and concluded not far from the top ten, enough to retain the white jersey and take the best result of his career in a stage race.
It was a nice week with the Wolfpack.
“I came here with the aim to get good result in the GC and start the season on a high note, and I’m glad I could do that. I want to thank the team, because they helped me get the white jersey, on Saturday when they set me up for the intermediate sprint, and today, when they protected me the entire stage. I could have done a bit better in the sprints, but I will work on improving that. I hope this is the start of what will be a very good season and I can’t wait for the next races”, Andrea said after the podium ceremony.
It ended up being a strong week also for another Soudal Quick-Step rider, Filippo Zana. The former Italian Champion finished the Tour Down Under in eighth place, making it for the first time that our team had two riders in the top ten overall at the Aussie race.
Photo credit: ©Con Chronis / Getty Images
