Tereza Neumanova claimed her first podium of the season today with a strong second place finish at the Trofee Maarten Wynants in Belgium. The Czech rider of UAE Team ADQ delivered a solid sprint, being narrowly beaten by Martina Fidanza (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) on the finish line in Helchteren, after 116.6 kilometers of racing.
The race was animated by several breakaway attempts, but none of them managed to gain more than a 30-second advantage. Only one move by a pair of attackers reached a maximum gap of 50 seconds, but the peloton quickly closed it down. As expected, the race was decided in the final three kilometers on a narrow and technical section of road.
The team’s objective was to support and position their Czech sprinter in the best possible way – and the mission was accomplished.
Safiya Alsayegh, Elynor Bäckstedt, Fee Knaven, Eilidh Shaw, and Febe Jooris worked hard throughout the day to protect the designated leader. In the final kilometer, Neumanova got on Fidanza’s wheel and launched her sprint, crossing the line in second place.
These were Tereza Neumanova’s words after the finish line: “I think we all did a great job today. We stuck to the plan, and the girls looked after me all race long, keeping me protected and well-positioned in the key moments. Over the past few weeks, I’ve finally been able to train well and consistently, and it was nice to see that paying off in the race. Of course, the victory didn’t come, so I can’t be completely satisfied, but this podium definitely gives me confidence for the upcoming races. I have several events coming up here in Belgium, and I’ll do my best to achieve good results. It feels really good to start the season like this, and I want to say a big thank you to all my teammates and the staff for their great work today.”
