The Italian racked up Quick-Step Floors' third top-10 finish in as many days at the World Tour race.
Bern welcomed the riders Monday afternoon with a spectacular finish, on a leg-sapping cobbled climb, suited to the ground to the Classics specialists. A full-throttle peloton arrived at the bottom of the urban hill after catching the day's two escapees – Lasse Norman Hansen (Aqua Blue Sport) and Elmar Reinders (Roompot) – inside the last 15 kilometers, determined to make the most out of this opportunity before the race's first summit arrival.
The fierce battle for positioning led to a nervous finale, and it was Michael Matthews (Team Sunweb) the one who emerged victorious from this hectic affair, outsprinting Peter Sagan (Bora-Hansgrohe) and John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo). Matteo Trentin got in the mix for Quick-Step Floors, taking eighth on the line, a result which helped the 27-year-old Italian make an important jump in the general classification, up to seventh place, less than half a minute down on the yellow jersey.
"How was it out there? Super technical and chaotic. Everybody wanted to be in the front, the sprinters but also the GC guys, so you can imagine how crazy it was. I was well-positioned going into the closing kilometers, but then I took a wrong wheel and that was it. I didn't get the result I wanted, but this serves me as a good lesson for the future, when I'll try again to be up there and fight for an important result", said Matteo Trentin after the stage.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele
