Maximiliano Richeze is a quality sprinter in his own right, but riding for Quick-Step Floors with the likes of Tom Boonen, Marcel Kittel and now Fernando Gaviria, he has rarely been given the chance to ride for himself.
That chance came unexpectedly Wednesday in the Vuelta a San Juan after Gaviria crashed and the 34-year-old jumped all over it, winning the chaotic stage 4 sprint in Villa San Augustin ahead of Giacomo Nizzolo (Trek-Segafredo) and Matteo Pelucchi (Bora-Hansgrohe).
"This year I don't have the freedom to ride for myself and go for the victory," Richeze said in the post-stage press conference. "I have to work for Fernando, but after his crash, I have a talk with the team and also my teammates and we decided that I would do the sprint."
ADVERTISEMENT
It was a split-second decision that paid big dividends for Quick-Step Floors, and it required a quick change in attitude for the Argentinean.
"Sometimes it's difficult to change the mentality because you feel the pressure and also the questions can arrive in your mind," he said. "But, fortunately, I had a very good team that put me in the perfect position to do the sprint.
"From the start, I had good feelings in the legs, but I was also advantaged by the headwind on the climbs, which allowed me to sit in the wheels of the stronger guys."
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest News http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/vuelta-a-san-juan-max-richeze-picks-up-the-pieces-after-gaviria-goes-down
No comments:
Post a Comment