News: Silver for Trentin at Worlds

Italian Matteo Trentin had to settle for the silver medal in the UCI Road Race World Championship after brutal day in the saddle in Yorkshire.

News: Silver for Trentin at Worlds

Italian Matteo Trentin had to settle for the silver medal in the UCI Road Race World Championship after brutal day in the saddle in Yorkshire. The former European champion made it into a select group in the closing laps around the Harrogate finishing circuit, but he couldn’t hold off Mads Pedersen (Denmark) in the sprint for the line.

Wet, Wet, Wet

Torrential rain forced the race organisers to shorten and reroute the course, with the climbs of Buttertubs and Grinton Moor removed and two extra laps of the finishing circuit added to the day. The rain began to fall as the peloton rolled out of Leeds and after a several kilometres an 11-rider breakaway eventually went clear of the pack. However, the escapees were never allowed much leeway and they were eventually hauled back in on the opening lap in Harrogate.

The bunch then settled down for a number of laps until two riders jumped clear before Pedersen bridged across in a small chase group. The escapees were eventually whittled down to four riders, while the race burst into life behind as pre-race favourite Mathieu van der Poel (Netherlands) attacked with 34-kilometres to go.

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The Finale

Trentin jumped straight onto the Dutchman’s wheel and the duo upped the pace, leaving the shrinking bunch behind. The duo eventually made it across to the earlier attackers to form a five-man group, with Gianni Moscon (Italy) there to aid his teammate Trentin.

The group worked well together and had an advantage of 25-seconds over the peloton as they crossed the line for two laps to go. The chasing pack were struggling to get organised and the Trentin group stretched their gap out to 48-seconds by the time they reached the final lap.

All eyes were on Van der Poel but the Dutchman blew up with 13-kilometres to go, with Moscon also finding the pace too much soon after, leaving just three at the front. Stefan Kung (Switzerland) then did his best to shake Trentin and Pedersen, but it was to no avail with a three-way sprint set to decide the medal order. Trentin was the first to kick for the line, but the Italian couldn’t hold off Pedersen as the Dane came around him to take the gold medal.

Matteo Trentin: “A lot of emotions. I was just thinking about the sprint but after such a race it doesn’t really matter who you are. Mads was just stronger. The cold has played a major role. It was a very tough course. I wanted the rainbow jersey. If you are then second, you will be disappointed. But when you see how Mads wins the sprint, you know he was the best today. ”

“I didn’t even notice that initially [that Van der Poel was dropped]. It was not that incomprehensible – this was a very tough course. I’m still cold. This feels like I’m out in the winter in my t-shirt. I have nothing to blame…I am proud of myself and the team.”