Our junior squad capped off a great weekend in Italy.
Before Sunday, Belgium’s best result at the Giro di Primavera was a runner-up spot achieved at the 2022 edition. That changed at the end of the 129.1km race, when Vic De Smet arrived alone at the finish and celebrated his fifth success of the season, putting Soudal Quick-Step U19 and Belgium on the roll of honors at the Italian event created in 2014.
After covering a flat circuit five times, the peloton took on six up-and-down laps where the race came to life following numerous attacks, one of which came from Gal Stare. The most important hurdle there was Guizza, a 2.9km hill averaging 3.3% which played an important role in the outcome. It was the last time up this climb that eight riders – including Vic De Smet, who arrived here less than 24 hours after finishing runner-up at Coppa Montes Gran Premio della Resistenza – broke away and built what turned out to be a decisive gap.
Before the flamme rouge, everything pointed to a reduced sprint, but the 16-year-old launched a smart move and attacked as soon as they entered the final kilometer. In the space of just 100 meters, he opened an insurmountable margin and soloed to victory in San Vendemiano – our junior team’s 12th of the season.
I’m very happy with another win and with my weekend!
“Thanks to Gal, who was in the breakaway, we were in a perfect position in the peloton. After he got caught, I attacked and went clear with seven other guys. In the last 900, I saw an opportunity to attack and it paid off. I’m delighted that this incredibly strong team could show here in Italy what we are capable of”, Vic said at the finish.