Victory number three for our feeder squad this season.
Following a successful Tour du Rwanda, Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team kept things rolling, taking the inaugural edition of Le Tour des 100 Communes, a one-day race held over a rolling 176.2km course around Béthune, a small town in the Pas-de-Calais department.
The first rider of the squad to take center stage Saturday afternoon was Federico Savino, who attacked moments after the start and forced the peloton to put in a huge effort to bring him back, the catch being made only with ten kilometers to go. That was the cue for Jonathan to produce a spirited attack that saw him open a 10-second margin over the chasers. With just four kilometers to go, Vervenne had only five seconds in hand and it looked as his action would come to a bitter end, but the 19-year-old Belgian made use of his strong time trial skills and held off the group for a spectacular victory.
“This is my first win in the U23 ranks and it’s a great feeling. It wouldn’t have been possible without my teammates, to whom I want to say a big thank you. This victory is also theirs. In the closing kilometers, I had the confidence and the legs to try something, so I went all-in and kept pushing until the line. I can’t believe I managed to pull it off, it’s incredible”, an elated Jonathan said after he delivered Soudal Quick-Step’s first European victory of the season.
Photo credit: ©Wout Beel
