Our rider produced one of his finest displays in a race against the clock.
Mattia Cattaneo took his first individual medal at an international competition, confirming the strong form he showcased at the season’s last Grand Tour, the Vuelta a España. One of the two Italians at the start of the European ITT Championships, the 33-year-old from Bergamo found his rhythm immediately after the start of the 31.2km time trial, which helped him come through the first checkpoint with one of the fastest times.
The experienced Mattia – who concluded La Vuelta by taking an impressive third place in the Madrid time trial – continued to put together a really nice ITT, and by the time he reached the finish line in Hasselt, he recorded a solid time of 35:35 thanks to a 52.77km/h average speed. This effort helped Cattaneo make his way onto the final podium in the Belgian province of Limburg, behind countryman Edoardo Affini and Switzerland’s Stefan Küng – a well-deserved result for the Italian, who once again proved his prowess against the clock.
“You can never be too sure of your level after a hard Grand Tour, but I gave everything I had despite this flat parcours with long straight roads which didn’t really suit me. I am happy I could produce such a good time trial that netted me this beautiful bronze medal. Being on the podium together with Edoardo and listening to the Italian anthem was a really special moment. I hope to carry this form into the mixed relay and Sunday’s race”, said a smiling Mattia, the eighth different Soudal Quick-Step rider to take a medal at the European Championships.
Photo credit: ©Luc Claessen / Getty Images
Mattia Cattaneo