Del Grosso (unknowingly) imitates former Rabobank rider in Benidorm: "The name rings a bell"

Exactly one week after his double victory at the Dutch Cyclo-cross Championships, Tibor Del Grosso added another win to his record. The Alpecin-Deceuninck rider competed in Benidorm, though not yet in his red-white-and-blue national champion’s jersey. Instead, he donned his U23 world champion’s jersey for the under-23 race, which he ultimately won on the Costa Blanca. He reflected on the race in a conversation with IDLProCycling.com.

Del Grosso was alert from the start, staying near the front with several compatriots. Guus van den Eijnden, Senna Remijn, and Danny van Lierop were among the leaders, along with Belgians Jente Michels and Yordi Cursus, Italian Stefano Viezzi, and Frenchman Aubin Sparfel. In the end, Del Grosso, Michels, Van den Eijnden, Viezzi, and Sparfel managed to break away from the group.

It wasn’t until the final lap that Del Grosso launched his decisive attack, crossing the finish line three seconds ahead of teammate Michels. “This wasn’t an easy course to make a difference on. It was a matter of waiting until the last lap. I rode fairly conservatively, hoping the others would make the race harder,” the rider from Eelde explained.

“I didn’t feel like I could just ride away unless mistakes were made behind me. Guus rode a strong race, and I tried to help him a bit here and there, but in the end, it was full gas in the last lap,” Del Grosso said. The win marked his fourth U23 World Cup victory after triumphs in Hulst, Zonhoven, and Besançon. Despite missing the opening race in Dublin, Del Grosso currently leads the series standings.

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Del Grosso celebrates with a familiar gesture

As he crossed the finish line, Del Grosso performed a bow-and-arrow celebration, a gesture the Spanish audience might recognize. Former cyclist Juan Antonio Flecha—whose name translates to "Arrow"—made it his trademark during his career with teams like Rabobank, Sky, and Vacansoleil. "The name Flecha rings a bell, but my celebration wasn’t inspired by him. There wasn’t really any thought behind it. It was just a celebration; there doesn’t always need to be meaning behind it," Del Grosso said with a smile when prompted.

It could have been a nice nod to the Spanish crowd, though Del Grosso admitted he simply enjoyed the ambiance. "It was awesome. I feel like fans outside of Belgium are more likely to come for the whole day, whereas in Belgium, it’s more about the elite races. It was great to race in front of such a big crowd."

How has the Dutch champion experienced his first week in the national champion’s jersey? "The title has sunk in. I’ve definitely realized it and been able to enjoy it. I’ve received a lot of messages, and many people have been asking me about the World Championships, but that decision has already been made," said Del Grosso, who plans to stay in Spain for a bit longer. "I’ve been able to train well, but the Dutch Championships were a tough race. I needed some time to recover from that, but I managed by later in the week. Now I’ll stay in Spain until Thursday to train properly, and then I’ll head to the World Championships via Hoogerheide."

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