Sacha Modolo (Lampre-Merida) continued his domination of the Challenge Mallorca by sprinting to the win in the Trofeo Ses Salines. We have already posted several reactions and have gathered a few more below.

Francesco Gavazzi (Astana, 20th s.t.)

“It’s not cold to race here, but with the wind and some rain in the middle of the course today it is still not without its danger. The group was very nervous today, what with the wind, and that made for a lot of crashes. None of our guys went down, we’re all ready for the next two days.”

Reto Hollenstein (IAM, 50th +0.26)

“Dangers lurk everywhere when racing in Mallorca.  Today we had to fight against a violent wind and even some rain.   Many riders in the pack were nervous.  Under these conditions, everyone wants to be at the front.  One must be careful not to crash.  We focused on keeping Vincente [Reynes] safe and well positioned.  But it was not easy considering the conditions.

“There is plenty to do.  I have good feelings in my legs.  The narrow roads and the climbs will encourage breakaway attempts.  I hope to join one of them and go for the win.”

Joonas Henttala (Novo Nordisk, 47th +0.26)

“My training has gone well in the last month, and I’ve gained momentum. I’m feeling confident going into these first races.

“Today’s race packed a punch. It wasn’t easy with the rolling circuits coupled with plenty of side winds and rain. Andrea [Peron, 11th] was just outside the top 10, so not too bad! Tomorrow we’ll have a tough race with the mountains; we’ll see how it goes.”

Enrico Poitschke (sports director NetApp-Endura whose best rider was Ralf Matzka in 16th)

“Today the group broke away very early and built up a large lead of over nine minutes. At the same time, it was clear that the sprinter teams were aiming for another mass sprint today to close the gap. It was very windy and there was even some rain. Some of the streets were very narrow, which made it a difficult race because you constantly had to fight for your position.

“Unfortunately there were some crashes again today, which also affected us. Bartosz [Huzarski] and Leo [König] crashed, but luckily they both came away without any major injuries and will be able to compete tomorrow."

Gerald Ciolek (MTN-Qhukeka, did not finish after he went down in a crash)

“There was a big rock in the road, the next thing I was lying down in the road. I have lost a bit of skin but otherwise I am all fine.”

Coen Vermeltfoort (De Rijke, part of the long breakaway, 144th +3.55)

"I was not far behind when Barta and Thurau attacked. The peloton was quiet and I came around to launch an attack. Those guys [the ones who helped bridge across] were full of drive. As chasers we only looked at the time difference."

Dylan Groenewegen (De Rijke, 18th s.t.)

"It was a very tough final with many curves. The legs were actually pretty good, but I simply could not move up. "

Bert Lambregts (sports director De Rijke whose best rider was Dylan Groenewegen in 18th)

'Because Dion Beukeboom, Dex Groenn, Simon Schram and Sjoerd Kouwenhoven all crashes, we lacked the riders in the end. That costs you in a race like this. But we were part of the race and that is class. It is important to show ourselves.

Speaking about the third race: "I hope for a good day for Huub Duijn and Christoph Pfingsten. They should be able to keep up for a long time."

Piotr Kosmala (sports director ActiveJet whose best rider was Konrad Dabkowski in 32nd)
"The result certainly doesn't reflect the attitude of our riders. I am happy with their ride because the race was challenging even though the profile looked easy. There were rain, crashes and very strong winds. The WorldTour teams set a rapid pace which meant that the peloton often split but or riders rode attentively at the front. Applause for Emanuel [Piaskowy] who was in the break which wasn't easy."
 

Emanuel Piaskowy (ActiveJet, part of the early breakaway, 146th +15.02)

"I knew that a break was my only chance to show myself in this stage. I tried to attack three times an finally managed to slip away. Although I am a climber, my legs felt quite well which is a good indicator for the next two tough stages. The cooperation in the break was very good but there was no way we could hold off the peloton which was extremely determined to set up a bunch sprint.

Konrad Dabkowski (ActiveJet, 32nd +0.10)

"It was very nervous. Not only in the finale but practically the whole day. Wind, surprise attacks, crashes. The team performed well. The guys left me at the front at the right time. Less than 1.5km from the finish, there was a crash and thena roundabout created a lot of confusion. The peloton stretched out completely. Unfortunately, we were unable to achieve a good result but the feelings are goo. For our team, it was another lesson about cycling at the highest level."