First race of the season for the 22-year-old brings a well-deserved top 10.
Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl left Vuelta a Andalucia having been a protagonist on several of the competition’s five stages, including the penultimate won, which reshuffled the rankings and brought many riders into the big picture. Among them was also Mauri Vansevenant, who thanks to the brave effort displayed Saturday afternoon – on a relentless day, with strong headwind and all-out attacks – secured his third top 10 finish in a stage race, after last season’s Tour de la Provence and Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali.
Before adding this top 10 to his growing list of solid results in the pro ranks, Mauri had to overcome one more test – the demanding stage 5 between Huesa and Chiclana de Segura. Helped by a strong Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl team, who worked hard in the peloton to make sure the breakaway wouldn’t turn into a real threat and escorted him in the first kilometers of the final climb, Mauri not only retained his place in the upper echelon of the standings, he also made a jump of two positions, ending the race in an impressive eighth place.
“As we expected, Andalucia was a very hard race. We didn’t know how Mauri will fare in his first outing of the year, but he was really strong, confident and went for the GC. The key was being part of that move on the penultimate stage, where he was one of the best, as evidenced by his podium after a tough day. Overall, we can’t complain, as the guys gave their best here and Mauri’s eighth place in the overall is an encouraging result for the next races”, said sports director Brian Holm.
Photo credit: ©Bas Czerwinski / Getty Images
