The 72 edition of the Omloop Mandel-Leie-Schelde Meulebeke it ends with the final victory of Iljo Keisse (Quick-Step). Close to the podium the NIPPO Vini Fantini rider, Pierpaolo De Negri, that was able to be inside the right breakaway of the day and in battle for the final victory until the end.
Meulebeke – 26th of August 2017.
The first of the 2 Belgium races of the week-end is just finished and #OrangeBlue goes close to the victory with the 4th place of Pierpaolo De Negri, at the end of a very hard race.
THE RACE.
The Belgium race, at his 72th edition finished after 179km of battle and attacks of many riders, like in a true monuments of the North. The first strategy of the team was to work for the final sprint to play with the sprinter Eduard Grosu. But the race was very hard to control. At first Alan Marangoni, Marco Canola and Nicola Bagioli made an good job, together with Pierpaolo De Negri to close on the breakaways without a NIPPO Vini Fantini rider inside. When the race “exploded” Pierpaolo De Negri was able to be inside the right breakaway and in battle until the end for the final victory. Quick-Step and Lotto NL Jumbo had 2 rider inside the breakaway and has been very hard in the final 20 km for Pierpaolo De Negri to battle for the victory. At the end it is sprint with the final victory of Iljo Keisse (Quick-Step) and the final 4th of the NIPPO Vini Fantini rider.
THE DECLARATION.
Pierpaolo De Negri feels tired after a very hard day: “I’m really tired, but I feel to have done as much as possibile to try to win. At first with my teammates we work well to close on the previous attacks, then I was able to be in the right breakaway. Unfortunately Quick Step and Lotto NL Jumbo had 2 riders in and was not easy to control their attacks. I knew that Iljo Keisse was the favorite for the sprint but I miss him in the last bend. Tomorrow we will have another opportunity and as a team we will try again to reach the best result as possible.”
Tomorrow the NIPPO Vini Fantini team will be racing the Schaal Sels, another Belgium race with the same #OrangeBlue riders, and again Valerio Tebaldi on the team-car to lead the team.