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Strong performances by AG Insurance – Soudal: bronze on the track and top ten in Australia

It was a busy and successful weekend for the riders of AG Insurance – Soudal, both on Belgian soil and on the other side of the world. Luca Vierstraete claimed bronze in the Belgian National Individual Pursuit Championship, while Alex Manly secured a top 10 finish in the Schwalbe Women's One Day Classic in Australia.

Bronze for Luca Vierstraete on the track

On Saturday, January 25, the Belgian National Individual Pursuit Championship took place at the Velodrome in Heusden-Zolder. Our U23 rider Luca Vierstraete faced strong competition in the four-kilometer time trial and delivered an impressive third-place finish. The gold medal went to Hélène Hesters.

Luca Vierstraete: "This is definitely a result I had hoped for, especially since I’ve been racing among the elite riders this season. Making this transition in such a way makes me very happy. In the qualifiers, I wasn’t far behind the top two, and in the final, I tried to do exactly what I did before. Today, I’m also racing the 1-kilometer time trial at the Belgian Nationals. Although it’s probably a bit too short and explosive for my type of rider, I’ll give it my best."

Top ten for Alex Manly in Schwalbe Women’s One Day Classic

On Sunday, January 26, the elite riders of AG Insurance – Soudal competed in the Schwalbe Women's One Day Classic in Australia. This one-day race took place in and around Adelaide, covering a total distance of 90 kilometers, divided into 20 flat laps of 4.5 kilometers each. The warm conditions and fast pace made it a challenging race.

The riders who had participated in the Santos Tour Down Under earlier this month also lined up for this event: Nicole SteigengaAlex ManlyAnya LouwJustine GhekiereJulie Van De Velde, and Gaia Masetti. Despite several attacks and a regrouping with 15 kilometers to go, the race ended in a bunch sprint. Alex Manly was the first of our team to cross the finish line, securing a strong tenth place. The victory went to Clara Copponi (Lidl-Trek).

Alex Manly reacted after the race: "It was another hard and fast race today. In the final, we tried to lead Nicole out for the sprint, but we lost each other on the last climb. There are definitely things we could have done better, but we’re still hungry to improve. We also did some good things today and will carry those with us into the future."

"It was warm and a fast race. There are definitely things that should have been better today, but we’ll take the lessons forward into the next races," said Nicole Steigenga.

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