Powless could be serious threat to Pogacar, driven by emotional motivation: "She has taken care of our child"

In the past, his efforts often ended beautifully but without victory, but Thursday, October 10th 2024 truly belonged to Neilson Powless. The American riding for EF Education-EasyPost emerged victorious in the Gran Piemonte, and that’s no exaggeration. His solo ride through the Italian hills was impressive, and he was very pleased and rather emotional after the race.

"This win is really hard for me to compare. I’m so happy with it. This is what we riders work for all year. You hope to be able to finish it off at least once, and I’m so grateful that it all came together today. It was a matter of choosing the right moment. I took off with over forty kilometers to go, and from the climb sixty kilometers from the finish, I rode on instinct," he said in a flash interview with Eurosport. "The descent was tricky, and suddenly, only twenty riders were left."

"I decided to attack. There were two of us, me and Georg (Steinhauser, ed.), and he first countered attacks. Then I launched my attack and found myself solo at the front." Or, as he put it later in the mixed zone: "I attacked 43 kilometers from the finish because there was no cooperation. I expected some guys to join, but apparently, I picked the perfect moment," he analyzed his heroic effort. "I looked back often, not knowing the time gap. In the end, I gave it everything, especially on the climb, where I went beyond my limits. I almost threw up because I’d eaten so much, but I found a good balance."

His joyful outburst after crossing the finish line was also due to a tough year for Powless. "I’m glad I can leave the tough times behind me now," he said, referring to a tendonitis injury earlier in the year. "I love the end of the season because there are suddenly new opportunities. Spring didn’t go well. But I had a lot of support getting back in shape. I kept chasing my chances, and today is the reward. I hope to recover well and finish strong in Lombardy."

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Powless emotional as he thanks his family

During the press conference, Powless responded to questions from IDLProCycling.com about the sacrifices he made – after a disappointing spring – in order to return to top form in the fall. It was clear this moved him. "Winning today makes me so emotional and proud of my season. My family helped me come back to this level after my injury in spring. This victory represents all the work I put in and my family’s sacrifices. It's one of the most emotional wins of my career."

What sacrifices did he mean? Powless explained that being American and living in Europe can be lonely. "You’re away from home so much, putting all the responsibilities back on your wife’s shoulders. She has taken care of our child, in a country far from America. We moved to Europe to chase my cycling dream, but that also means moving away from the help of parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts... Every time we go back to America, we’re reminded how much easier it is to have family around. To have help and support."

"Ultimately, you have to live like a pro cyclist in Europe, and we lead a great life," the 28-year-old climber clarified, with his signature smile. "I’m living the dream I’ve had all my life. A life filled with beautiful moments, but it can also be tough. After the Tour de France, I took five days off, a little vacation. We had family come over from America, and we could show them where we live. I checked out for a few days, eating and drinking whatever I wanted. But there were more goals ahead..."

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"Pogacar versus the rest," Powless predicts for Lombardy

Those goals lay in the Italian autumn. "I was still looking for my form in the Tour, so it was a decisive moment to not let the season slip away after that. It could have easily happened, but I hadn’t raced much and saw great goals ahead, so I kept my weight under control and trained hard every day. I checked all the boxes to improve," Powless said. His team leader, Charles Wegelius of EF Education-EasyPost, confirmed this: "Neilson was very eager to perform here in Italy and to seize his opportunities, even if it was fifty kilometers from the finish line."

The fact that he held on until the finish, against a group that wasn’t slowing down, spoke volumes about Powless' level. "My Wahoo says I’m going fast. So I just listen to it," he smiled. With the Tour of Lombardy coming up on Saturday, could we suddenly have a new strong contender? "I hope I can recover well from today. I’m aiming for a top ten in Lombardy, but it’s a long race, and Pogacar will probably make it explode one hundred kilometers from the finish. It will be tough for everyone else, but I’ll do my best."

"It’s going to be Tadej against the rest. We’ll have to deliver a tactical masterpiece to beat him. It’s not impossible, but he’s definitely the big favorite, by far. We’ll try to win without pressure, so we need to come up with something," Powless added in the mixed zone. Wegelius also warned Pogacar to expect a motivated EF team. "It’s our mindset as a team to engage in battles we can win. Gran Piemonte isn’t just a breadcrumb; it’s a 108-year-old race. We’re motivated, although Lombardy is a different race. If there are climbs longer than twenty minutes, it will be challenging and on the edge for Neilson, but this gives us morale."