Coppa Agostoni: Warren Barguil 4th
Warren Barguil, who rode with a handful of other riders on the hilly sections of the Coppa Agostoni, finished 4th in the first autumn classic in the Alps. Alessandro Verre took 10th place.
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“The Coppa Agostoni is a race I enjoy. I’ve shone there before. Lukasz did a good job of setting up with Alessandro. Maxime was out in front and that put us in a good rhythm from the start of the race. I anticipated with a lap and a half to go. 6 of us went out and then 4. We took advantage of a moment’s hesitation in the peloton to make up the gap. Hirschi then came back on us. I’m happy with the way things felt today. During the week, the mechanics were able to fit the new Bianchi Specialissima RC in its new colour, and I was keen to show it off and reward their work. The training camp in Nice did me a lot of good to prepare for these races in Italy. Now I’ve got three more races in Italy in the Arkéa-Samsic jersey, and I’m highly motivated to get a big result in these upcoming events.”
“It was a difficult race. Warren was the designated leader this morning and he fulfilled his role by being in the hunt for victory. Personally, I finished 10th in a chasing group that finished just behind him. I’m feeling good again. I hope that this Coppa Agostoni is just the beginning and that I’ll continue to express myself to the full in these last races of 2023.”
“The riders had a great start to this block of Italian races. They showed that we can exist. We tried to anticipate with Warren in the difficult part of the course, and that paid off for him. We came up against a big UAE team today who dominated the end of the race. We might have a few regrets about not finishing on the podium, but we have to remember the positive way we raced today. Alessandro Verre’s top 10 finish is also a real satisfaction. All that should put us in a good frame of mind for the rest of our transalpine dates.”