European Champs RR
Brilliant bronze medal for the Madrilian at European Championships in Plumelec, behind Peter Sagan (SVK) and Julien Alaphilippe (FRA); Dani completes excellent season end following his 8th place in the Vuelta. Good race by Visconti, helping the Italian team, and Rubén Fernández, always attentive in the finale
They were only four at the start, yet they featured more prominently that numbers could tell. And they got back home with another medal. It was an excellent close to the European Championships for the Movistar Team riders taking part in the races at Plumelec (Brittany, France) this long weekend, as Dani Moreno claimed bronze behind Peter Sagan (SVK) and Julien Alaphilippe (FRA) after a long (232.9km), yet not-so-steep circuit around the Côte de Cadoudal. As the race was always coming together, the veteran Madrilian knew where and how to profit from his terminal velocity on difficult finishes.
Rubén Fernández -involved in a crash, fortunately with no consequences, at the penultimate lap- and Giovanni Visconti promptly responded to the domestique work they were asked for by his home nations, and anticipated a last two loops around the finish at full speed, with a 20-man break (including 'Visco') and a lone move by Moser (ITA) adding spice to the inevitable group finish. Well led out by David de la Cruz, Moreno tackled the last 1.8km uphill always at the front, and even launched the sprint himself. He was beaten, only through the last 100 meters, by a superior Sagan and Alaphilippe, who had to wait for the photo-finish to confirm his silver medal.
REACTION:
Dani Moreno: "It would have been nice to see the photo-finish, because the silver medal was so close and I think Alaphilippe only beat me by a nail and into the very last meter. The Spanish team worked really well: we took care of all main moves so we didn't have to work chasing behind, and at the end, it was down to Luis León Sánchez and myself searching for a good finish, with the energies we had left, into the last climb.
"I took that third place, though I'd have liked to jump a little before I did. I got a bit boxed in at the penultimate straight, and I had to stop and almost come to a half before the jump. The right thing to try and surprise Sagan in such finishes, so favourable to him, is time your effort well, make it a long one and push hard. That third place was just out of good legs – I'd have loved to have a better push to the line and improve that result.
"All in all, it's been a good week for both the team and the national squad. We're happy that we took these two medals in the first ever pro Euro Champs."