Etixx – Quick-Step had another successful season in 2015, with 54 road wins alongside 69 other podium places. Over the next weeks we will look back on the 10 biggest moments for the team in the 2015 season.
Our previous moments focused on the likes of Niki Terpstra, Mark Cavendish, Michal Kwiatkowski, Julian Alaphilippe or Tony Martin. Our next best moment is Matteo Trentin taking his first ever victory in a Classic.
Created in the last decade of the 19th century, Paris-Tours is known as the sprinters' Classic, although in the past years it witnessed some crazy editions, with full gas speed right from the start and riders out-foxing the peloton after audacious attacks, thus getting a career-defining win. The 109th edition wasn't in any way strange to this scenario, as a big group of more than 30 cyclists – including three of Etixx – Quick-Step – pushed by a strong tailwind, peeled away in the first kilometers of the race and managed to stay clear, before splitting out when the pace became stronger and stronger.
In the closing 10 kilometers, Matteo Trentin attacked out of the front group and was followed only by Greg Van Avermaet and Tosh Van der Sande. The trio worked together on the short climbs leading to the finish, which allowed them to build a consistent gap before deciding to attack each other. Of the three, Van Avermaet was hit by bad luck, and couldn't contest the sprint because of a flat tire, so it was Matteo Trentin and Van der Sande who fought for the victory.
With less than 400 meters to go until the arrival on the Avenue de Grammont, the 26 year-old rider of Etixx – Quick-Step took the front ahead of his Belgian opponent and made the most out of his speed, crossing the line with his hands raised high and landing the first major one-day classic victory of his career. Not only that Matteo Trentin became just the seventh Italian cyclist to win Paris-Tours, one of Europe's oldest races, but also received the Yellow Ribon for setting the highest average speed in a one-day race longer than 200 kilometers: 49,64 km/h.
"I remember the breakaway going away immediately, in the first part of the race. Fortunately I noticed movement in the front, as people were preparing attacks in echelons. I was able to enter this breakaway with Gianni Meersman and Yves Lampaert. They did a great job for me in the race. We worked well together and the breakaway built a good advantage. In the first three hours we rode at a speed of more than 51 kilometers per hour. Then we slowed down a little bit. On the penultimate climb I decided to attack. I knew it could be the key point of the race. In the last days I checked a few videos on YouTube, and knew that this climb was the most important in almost all of the recent editions. Approaching the finish, I knew I was the fastest of the three. They put me in the first position in the last kilometers. I didn't panic. I stayed cool, and at 350 meters to go I launched my sprint. I won, and I was really happy. After the Tour de France I worked hard to have a nice last part of the season. I won four races in the second half of the year. It was also mentally important to get a good result in France. Year-by-year I am growing up, and this win, which is the first one-day victory of my career, gave me a lot of morale. I have big motivation to keep working hard so I can try to become a better rider."