A good result for the young Frenchman after an action-packed race.
Surf Coast Classic got off to a furious start, as many riders tried to jump from the peloton in the hilly first part of the 157km race and put some daylight between them and the chasers. One of these was Casper Pedersen – the most combative rider on the final stage of the Tour Down Under – but despite his best efforts, the bunch quickly came back and kept things together.
More accelerations soon followed, all of which were nullified until a large group – featuring three Soudal Quick-Step riders – finally managed to snap the elastic and take their advantage to one minute. The pace remained high, as both the escapees and the peloton travelled at more than 47km/h, and the catch was eventually made inside 50 kilometers to go. Things didn’t stop there, and more breakaway attempts soon came from those keen on not having a bunch sprint at the end of the day.
Crosswinds split the peloton into three groups, making for an insane final 20 kilometers. Italian neo-pro Andrea Raccagni immediately booked a place in the main group, containing a total of nine riders, but behind them the peloton chased hard and managed to erase a 20-second deficit, reeling them in ten kilometers from home.
Another group went clear, but the field managed to control also this gap and to absorb the breakaway not far from the line, and the race came down to a bunch sprint, won by Tobias Lund (Team Picnic PostNL). Having been involved in many of the day’s main moves, Antoine Huby still had enough left to produce a strong turn of legs at the finish against many pure sprinters, rolling over the line just outside the top ten – an encouraging result ahead of Sunday’s Cadel Evans Road Race.
Photo credit: ©Dario Belingheri / Getty Images
