CYCLING – TEAM Bahrain Victorious rider Alec Segaert claimed an impressive victory at the Grand Prix de Denain in France yesterday, taking a strong result in one of the key cobbled races of the early international cycling season.
The Belgian rider came close to success the day before at Nokere Koerse in Belgium, where he attacked in the final but was brought back before the finish.
In Denain, he made it count.
Segaert was part of a decisive move that formed with just under 50 kilometres remaining in the 200.4km course, going clear on one of the key sections of the course. In the final kilometres, he launched his effort, went solo, and held off the chasers to the line in Denain. He triumphed in a time of four hours 21 minutes and 23 seconds.
Milan Menten of Lotto Intermarche finished as runner-up two seconds behind, with Anthony Turgis of Total Energies completing the podium in third.
“This was a perfect day with the team,” said Segaert. “Everybody knew what to do.
“Yesterday we had a really strong performance and came close, so it’s even nicer that it worked out today.
“I had a great day and really wanted to finish it off after yesterday. In the final I played it well. I was with [Per Strand] Hagenes, who was really strong, but I think I made the right decisions.
“I’m really happy with this win, for myself and for the team.”
Bahrain Victorious sports director Nikolas Maes said: “We had in mind to try something with Alec for the final, and he made his move with around 45 kilometres to go. It was early, but it was on one of the hardest parts of the course, and he had a strong rider with him, Hagenes.
“In the final, he stayed calm, chose the right moment, and went all-in to the finish.
“Yesterday things didn’t go his way, but today everything came together, so it’s a great reward for his work.”
Amongst Bahrain Victorious’s other riders, Slovenian Zak Erzen narrowly missed out on the top 10 with 11th, Italian Alberto Bruttomesso was 68th, and his compatriot Alessandro Borgo came 78th, while Slovenian Matevz Govekar, Italian Daniel Skerl, and Briton Oliver Stockwell did not finish.
This year’s Grand Prix de Denain was its 67th edition. The race is known for its demanding cobbled sectors and is often compared to a smaller version of Paris-Roubaix.
The course included 13 cobbled paths, which made the race very selective and placed a strong emphasis on positioning through its decisive parts.
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