Jasper Schoofs makes it onto the podium on the last day of the race after a brave ride in the breakaway.
Viktor Soenens seems to enjoy racing in Spain. A member of our Devo squad, he competed last year in O Gran Camiño together with the World Tour team and took an impressive eighth place and the white jersey. One year from that performance, he returned to a stage race in the Iberian Peninsula and once again put in an impressive display, finishing tenth overall at the Volta Comunitat Valenciana, which had a star-studded field for this 77th edition.
“I didn’t have any expectations before the start, but this week turned out to be pretty special. The level was really high, some of the best riders in the world were here. My initial thought was to learn and gain experience, but throughout the week I felt strong and each day I felt better and better. On Saturday, it was crazy, but I felt I had the legs and my teammates positioned me for the important climbs. I did what I could and couldn’t believe when I saw I came in the top ten.”
To finish it off with another top ten, this time in the GC, is beyond my dreams and something that gives me a lot of confidence for the upcoming race.
“A big thanks to the team for their support and trust they put in me, it means a lot to see this and to be part of the Wolfpack. I will take this confidence-boost into my next races, where I hope to be there whenever they would need me”, an elated Viktor explained.
On the last day of the week, a rather short one taking the peloton from Betera to Valencia, it was another Devo rider who spent time in the spotlight. Jasper Schoofs, the 19-year-old who won the Klimkoers Herbeumont and the KOM jersey at the Tour Alsace last season, joined the large breakaway that formed moments after the start. The Belgian wasn’t content to just sit there, and traded pulls at the front before counterattacking on the second climb of the stage when the group split, leaving only nine men in the lead.
Once he made it there, Schoofs continued to remain active while the peloton was rapidly making up ground in the closing kilometers, as they entered the streets of Valencia. Just three kilometers from the finish, only 15 seconds separated them, but Jasper took another long pull as the group exited a roundabout and went under the flamme rouge with a gap that still looked promising. Despite the chasers coming at a different pace, the escapees made it, and Jasper remained calm and confident in the finale as he sprinted to third place – a great result to cap off a solid week of our Devo riders in Spain.
It was an amazing experience to be able to ride this race and I was already so happy just to get the chance to compete among the pros!
“It truly feels like a childhood dream to be on the bus with such great professionals. I am grateful to each and every one of them for sharing their knowledge”, Jasper said. “Today I wanted to give everything one last time. A big breakaway formed, and on the toughest climb of the day I chose my own pace and reached the top with the first riders. From there we rode as fast as possible toward the finish. In the sprint I came up just a little short, but I’m incredibly happy with this result. Racing among the pros already feels like a childhood dream, and now standing on the podium as well feels completely unreal.”
Photo credit: ©Szymon Gruchalski / Getty Images
