Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team celebrates its seventh success since the beginning of the year.
Andrea Raccagni took his first victory of the season Thursday afternoon, when he was crowned U23 Italian Time Trial Champion after a convincing ride in Grosseto, where the 23.2km race took place. Fresh off the back of a solid outing at the GiroNextGen – where he helped Paul Magnier capture two stage wins and the points jersey – Raccagni gave no chance to his opponents as he powered to his first success in the Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team jersey.
The 20-year-old Italian stopped the clock in 27:18, putting more than twenty seconds into Nicolas Milesi (Arkea B&B Hotels Devo) and Christian Bagatin (Team MBH Bank Colpack Ballan), for a success he will always remember, as it came in front of his family who was present to support him.
“I’m very happy with this victory, my first in the U23 ranks. Becoming Italian Champion is incredibly special, and the fact it happened on a day my family could witness it is something that I will cherish forever. I think I managed my effort quite well. I didn’t start very fast and as a result I didn’t have the best time at the intermediate checkpoint, but I took full advantage of the tailwind in the second half of the course and gave everything there.”
“I find myself in a moment of my season where I really feel that I’m in a strong condition. I was in Val di Fassa with the team for an altitude training camp in May, I worked hard there and began taking advantage of that during the GiroNextGen, where I could already feel my form getting better and better. I hope to keep this condition for the Tour of Slovakia, where I will again link up with Paul Magnier. We have a good connection and I hope to do a strong race, this time for the World Tour team”, Andrea said after his memorable victory.
Photo credit: ©BettiniPhoto
Andrea Raccagni