Visma | Lease a Bike proud of Lemmen after solo falls short: "That victory will definitely come in the future"
Cycling
On Monday, Bart Lemmen came very close to his first pro victory at the Coppa Bernocchi. However, it wasn't to be for the Visma | Lease a Bike rider, who is having an excellent first season with the top team. "I really believed I could make it," Lemmen shared on the team’s website.
Although Lemmen was perhaps the strongest rider on the Visma | Lease a Bike squad present on paper, he didn't wait until the final. He opted for the early break, where he encountered eventual winner Stan Van Tricht. In the closing stages, Lemmen proved to be the strongest of the lead group, defending a lead of around half a minute. Among the chasers were strong riders like Pavel Sivakov and Roger Adrià, along with some of the early breakaway riders whom Lemmen had dropped. It turned into a nerve-wracking finale, but things didn't end in favor of the former soldier. Lemmen was caught and, understandably, couldn't do much in the final sprint.
The result was a fifth place. "I rode really hard. Maybe I was left alone a bit too early, because thirty kilometres is still quite a distance," said Lemmen, who quickly came to terms with missing out on the win. "Unfortunately, the finish line was a kilometer too far for me today. They worked together well behind me. It's really unfortunate to get caught like that at the end, but that's cycling too."
Read more below the photo.
Team Manager Marc Reef also weighs in. While disappointed that Lemmen didn't quite make it, he's mainly proud of his rider. "Bart really did everything right. We knew in advance that the breakaway could make it to the finish today. Bart turned out to be the strongest in the breakaway and then you have to make the choice to go solo at one point. It's a shame that he just didn't make it. That would have been the icing on the cake for a very good first year with Team Visma | Lease a Bike. It didn't lead to a victory today, but that win will definitely come in the future.”
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Latest Comments
- Well explained, thanks for the clarity! Daniel DantasDanieldantas20-12-2024
- This is the kind of 'news' that belongs in a cheap tabloid. No matter how boring the offseason gets, nobody wants to read this.
santiagobenites19-12-2024 - I wish we could have seen him try. He'd absolutely get dropped before Pogi overtakes his domestiquesVeganpotter10-12-2024
- Talk is cheap! Next year barring crashes with a healthy team... all well be on track! Some need to talk to make a headline!mootman27-11-2024
- I do not see this event listed on HBO Max Sports Online? Can anyone confirm? Thanks!
MrYuck23-11-2024 - It seemed that he was focusing forward at the time of the crash, after seeing a quick video snippet. But one thing I think he should focus on more intently is breaking a bad habit he has, right now. And that is his constant looking over his shoulders. He does that so much, that I am very sure it is not good for him. Simply watch videos of the greats of CX and you will see very little of that constant looking over their shoulders. That is a behavior that betrays a bit of insecurity on his part. He shouldn't be so concerned, incessantly, about what is over his shoulder. He needn't worry they didn't all disappear. He neds to keep his focus more ahead of himself, and he needs to pay a bit more attention to himself, in a confident manner. It is very frustrating to watch, because it is apparent that he has a lot of potential, and is in much better shape thwan many of his competitors, but the mental game needs to be sharpened more, because that part of strategy plays a huge part in the final results
reemmo022-11-2024 - hahahaha love this shit! I didnt even watched the race, but reading all the gossip articles of how stupid this is!Zatoichi19-11-2024
- Van Aert is really handsome. He can influence me all day! Ditto for Philipsen. Why do you think many of us love cycling?: to see heroic attempts at climbing mountains at high altitudes or to watch speedsters sprint for the finish line or to watch a human being ride at break neck speed down a tricky descent? No, it's all about their lean physiques and muscular legs. (apologies for objectifying these dedicated and amazing athletes).BarwonHeadsUp25-10-2024
- It is unfortunate that the author can't feel the joy that Pogacar brings to the sport and his fans who are legion and I for one feel lucky to have watched such a memorable performance and historic season From the Strada until yesterday with multiple wins in stages in both tours and beyond dominance in the World's. He is proud to wear the Rainbow stripes, shows his leadership to protect his fellows and is as courteous and sportsman-like as the sport allows. He goes early to not have to respond to each attack as all the rest would make him do it. Any racer who could would do the same. Don't "grow tired" of greatness as it is always fleeting.ccrider13-10-2024
- What load of rubbish. Pog is likely a once in a generation cyclist, the like of which hasn't been seen since 'the Cannibal '. How many people were complaining that Merckx was making racing predictable? I remember this year's World RR as one of the most exciting I've watched. Mainly BECAUSE Pog was the favourite and launched what everyone thought (Pog included) was a suicidal attack with 80km to go. For the next 2 hours, I was on the edge of my seat thinking "this is too much, even for Pog". Maybe Zonnefeld prefers the snooze-fest that is a bunch sprint? Like most people I know, I can't watch two hours of the bunch riding very fast... I wait for the final 5km and watch just the sprint. In any event, most races are won from a sprint or lone break. What difference does it make who makes the lone break? Ultimately, the other contenders will have to figure out a way to beat Pog. Even if that means collaboration between teams. It's going to be an exciting few seasons, until the next Pog arrives on the scene. If this is boring, heaven knows what exciting looks like!Michael513-10-2024