Lecerf turns heads at La Vuelta

Mikel Landa remained in fifth place overall after the tenth stage of the season’s final Grand Tour.

After a sweltering opening week, during which he found his place in the peloton and got accustomed to the rigours and speed of a Grand Tour, William Junior Lecerf had a first opportunity to show what he is capable off on the roads of Galicia, and T-Rex Quick-Step’s diminutive climber didn’t disappoint.

The demanding stage ten concluded in Baiona, which on 1 March 1493 became the first European port to receive the news of the discovery of America, when the Pinta – one of Columbus’ three ships for his first voyage to the New World – arrived there, captained by Martin Alonzo Pinzon. Baiona is also the place where our team took one of its many La Vuelta wins, back in 2016, when Gianni Meersman was the fastest in a bunch sprint.

On Tuesday, it took some time for a breakaway to form, as numerous riders tried to snap the elastic and make it to the front of the race. Among them, also Mauri Vansevenant, who was reeled in during the first hour of the race, despite a brave attempt. Then, with around 100 kilometers to go, William Junior Lecerf attacked together with two men, opening a gap that looked promising. This move was joined by another pair of riders, and the quintet worked well together, sharing the workload.

The 21-year-old Belgian neo-pro – a stage winner at the Tour du Rwanda in February – was one of the group’s engines, not being afraid of taking some long pulls at the front and contributing to the breakaway’s six-minute maximum advantage, which made them favourites for the win in front of the peloton. The concord between the escapees was maintained until 30 kilometers to go, when two of them attacked going through the intermediate sprint. William did his best to join them, pulling hard on both the flat and the subsequent Alto de Mougas, the stage’s last ascent, but it soon became clear that the duo would fight for the win.

Lecerf arrived around one minute after winner Wout Van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) and came extremely close to a podium finish, concluding this tough day in fourth place – the first time this season that he cracked the top ten in a World Tour race and a result that underlined his blossoming talent.

“I am a bit disappointed because I missed out on the podium, as I felt that I could have been there. The breakaway was a strong one, and when the group split, I did my best to follow, but it was very difficult to take the wheel of a guy like Van Aert on those roads. On the other hand, I am satisfied with how I felt and with being in the mix for a good result on such a tough stage”, William explained at the finish.

Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images