Soudal Quick-Step Devo left its mark on another important stage race, after the Tour du Rwanda and the Tour of Antalya.
Federico Savino improved on his result of last year at the French race, finishing second on the general classification after a huge ride in an electrifying last day, which helped him make a big leap in Dinan, where the 60th edition concluded.
The final 30 kilometers of the seventh stage were the most important, and it was there that the race was turned on its head, as the peloton took on the five laps of a hilly circuit. The sole climb on the route there, featuring a 300-meter cobbled section, was enough to rip the bunch to pieces and make for a thrilling finale, as the riders kept attacking to put pressure on the overall leader of the Tour de Bretagne.
Federico was among the strongest there, demonstrating his prowess by reacting to many of the moves that came thick and fast and taking a well-earned third place on the stage; it was the 22-year-old’s first podium of the season, and a result that helped him upgrade the fourth place of last year to a remarkable second - Italy’s best performance at the French race.
“My week was a solid one. I improved with each stage, and also had the trust of the team. They did an amazing job these days and I want to thank them for helping me. I’m satisfied with finishing second at this race, as it confirms how much I’ve improved in this team since last year”, Savino said after the podium ceremony.
It was a nice week, and especially, a nice last stage for us.
“We were there the entire race, but we missed a bit in the first stages to take a result. Federico was one of the best riders here, as shown by his result, and the team worked hard here to support him as much as possible. We wanted to go all in and show what we were capable of. We don’t race for seventh, we race for victory. Our strategy was to go on the attack on the circuit, and that’s what we did. Federico was strong and we are happy for him and for the whole team. It’s a great result”, added Soudal Quick-Step Devo sports director Eliot Lietaer.
Photo credit: ©Dario Belingheri / Getty Images
