Luca Mozzato 10th
Top 10 for Luca Mozzato on the first of the Flandrian classics of the 2024 season. He signs his first top 10 on a UCI World Tour level classic.
Photo: Getty
“The end of the race was stressful. All the sprinter teams were present with their trains, and on small roads like that, obviously, there was not room for everyone. We tried to keep our position as much as possible, but it was a lot of friction. A sprint is never written in advance. Sometimes it goes well, other times it doesn’t. It is not an exact science. I tried to find the best possible place. I got locked up, then I was hampered by the fall, which caused me to touch the brakes. And I couldn’t sprint completely.”
“Bruges – La Panne was an appetizer before the Flandriennes. The weather was mild, with sunshine and not the slightest breath of wind! Three riders left from the start. The whole peloton was fresh at the start of the sprint. This caused a lot of friction. We know that when things are tense, there is always a big fight for placement. Despite everything, our runners were able to reach the turn one kilometer and eight hundred from the finish. Then it got messy. Unfortunately, these are the hazards of sprinting. 600 meters from the line, a fall added to this situation. We were a little far away. I will remember that Dan and Arnaud were aggressive and that Miles came back to help them, even if everything is not perfect. We find automatisms with runners who are also returning from injury. We must stay the course. Luca was between two and knew how to position himself very well. He could have been a support for Arnaud if everything had worked out well. It is slowed down by the fall that occurs in the finale. He plugs the hole, goes to find a place of ten. Without it, he could do better given his condition. But it’s racing, and that’s how it is.”