[su_row][su_column size=»1/2"]
[/su_column] [su_quote cite=»OLIVER NAESEN»]
Oliver Naesen: «That's why we cycle.»
«It was a real race. That's why we cycle. That's what the classics are all about. Today, it was full throttle from start to finish, which suits me fine. As I get older, I'm stronger when the race is long. I sprinted based on experience. There was a headwind and I came out at the last moment. I've been on the podium three Sundays in a row (editor's note: 2nd in the eighth stage of Paris-Nice, 2nd in Milan-San Remo, 3rd in
Gent-Wevelgem). That's a good sign for next week, with A Travers les Flandres on Wednesday and the Tour of Flanders on Sunday.»[/su_quote]
THE FIGURE
6
Oliver Naesen's third place in Gent-Wevelgem is his sixth podium finish in a UCI WorldTour one-day race. He has won the GP de Plouay twice (2016-2018), finished second in Milan-San Remo (2019) and third in the GP E3 Harelbeke (2017), Eschborn-Frankfurt (2017) and Gent-Wevelgem (2019).
NEWS
Tony Gallopin and Romain Bardet injured in a crash
Tony Gallopin and Romain Bardet were victims of a mass crash 40 kilometres from the finish line of the seventh stage of the Tour of Catalonia and were forced to abandon the race.
«Tony Gallopin has suffered trauma to his left shoulder. He will undergo further tests at the beginning of the week. Romain Bardet has suffered trauma to his ribs with suspected fractures, which will require further tests,» said Dr Arthur Molique, team doctor for AG2R La Mondiale.
«We were going downhill at 70 km/h. It happened very quickly. I found myself being dragged along the pavement and I went over the handlebars. Given the violence of the fall, it could have been much worse,» explains Tony Gallopin.
«The fall was violent because we were descending very quickly. My ribs are hurting, but it could have been worse. I'm now waiting for the results of further tests. It's not the ending we were hoping for to this big block of races in March,» added Romain Bardet.
«It was a big crash, in the same spot where Bernal fell last year. After Axel on Friday, it was Tony and Romain's turn. We were very scared. The consequences are less serious than we feared. We will have to wait for further tests to be completely reassured,» said sports director Stéphane Goubert.
Both riders returned to France at the end of the stage, as initially planned. Axel Domont, who fell on Friday during the fifth stage, underwent further tests on Saturday evening at the Centre Médipole de Savoie in Challes-les-Eaux (Savoie), which diagnosed trauma to his right collarbone (without fracture) and a fracture of his pelvis at the level of his right hip. He will be out of action for at least six weeks.
