Kruijswijk and Bennett close Catalunya with top 10 finish
LottoNL-Jumbo’s Steven Kruijswijk and George Bennett ended the Volta a Catalunya in the top 10, seventh and ninth respectively, today in Barcelona.
"We showed we can compete at the highest level with two men in the top 10," said Sports Director Grischa Niermann. “That gives a lot of motivation for the next races."
The WorldTour stage race with stars Chris Froome and Alberto Contador ended with Alejandro Valverde on top. He won the stage and clinched the overall today in Barcelona.
"This week, I saw an impressive team. It's nice to see that the men also take control as they did yesterday,” added Niermann. "Today, Victor Campenaerts had his own chance. When he was with Fuglsang, I told him not to ride and to go in the final on his own. Eventually, the group caught him, but our GC men where they needed to be.”
Campenaerts attacked from the gun and only faded on the closing laps in Barcelona.
"At kilometre zero, I started to attack,” Campenaerts said. "Together with my fellow countryman Thomas De Gendt, I drove away and 19 other riders followed soon afterwards. That group did not work well together. Fuglsang was in it, and he was high up in the classification and an overall danger.”
He attacked again before reaching Barcelona and survived until two laps remaining of the Spanish city.
"The others escapees were not so happy, but it was my only chance. Six of us rode away and tried as much as possible to stay clear.”
Kruijswijk and Bennett remained attentive in the first group of 16 riders. Bennett sprinted to ninth and Kruijswijk 10th to ensure their top 10 in the WorldTour stage race.