The Italian rider took his best result in three participations at the Grand Prix de Wallonie.
Wednesday's race was a quiet one until the final 50 kilometers, when the seven escapees who took off at the start were caught by the peloton, which soon split to pieces in the strong crosswinds. The front group was a pretty large one and not all the riders showed they were willing to pull in order to ensure a hefty gap, so it didn't came as a surprise that some of them attacked on Côte de Lustin and forced a new selection.
From the newly-formed group of eight men, Tim Wellens (Lotto-Soudal) attacked on the penultimate climb and soloed to victory on the famous Citadel of Namur, where he arrived with more than a minute's advantage over teammate Tony Gallopin and Julien Simon (Cofidis).
What was left of the peloton came home a minute and a half later, with Gianluca Brambilla carrying the flag for Quick-Step Floors; the 30-year-old Italian, who raced last week both World Tour events in Canada, sprinted from the bunch to notch up eighth place for his second top-10 finish of the season, after the one in the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele
