CULT Energy Pro Cycling Dane Martin Mortensen won the very first edition of Velothon Wales covering 174 kilometers with approximately 2200 meters of elevation gain. A great day for the Danish squad which finished with several riders in the top of the classification.
A breakaway with CULT Energy rider Martin Mortensen was established early on and the move was joined by a larger group including Karel Hnik, Romain Lemarchand and Joel Zangerle. CULT Energy Pro Cycling instantly decided to keep the pressure on. Lemarchand went full gas on the hardest climb to stress and tire the group. Soon after Martin Mortensen once again launched a fierce attack to which only three other riders were able to respond. Entering the final kilometer, Mortensen leaped off one final time and had time to celebrate this well-deserved win crossing the finish line.
Velothon Wales victor Martin Mortensen was one big smile after the podium ceremony:
"We followed André's plan to ride for me and everything we agreed on this morning was executed on the road, almost to perfection. When Romain, Karel and Joel bridged the gap to me, we decided to launch the next rocket in line and Romain put the hurt on everyone in the group. With 40 kilometers to go, I wanted to split the group and went away on a smaller climb with two companions. Entering the final loop, I had a feeling of being the strongest of us but I thought it would be wiser to stick together as the chase group was breathing down our necks. With 800 meters to go, I launched the attack and made it to the finish line. This is my last race before the Danish national championships and what better way to start the nationals than with a fresh win in my pocket," says Mortensen.
DS André Steensen says:
"We wanted to dominate the race and as a part of the plan, we had a rider in the initial breakaway. It wasn't a problem at all when they bridged the gap the first time. Martin was obviously the strongest out there and we decided to push the pace on a climb where Romain minimized the front group and we were present with 4 riders out of 18 in total. Martin kept pushing the pace and eventually, he still had one good push that boosted him across the finish line. I know Martin hasn't had an easy spring season but he has been fighting hard to get here and that makes the taste of the victory even sweeter."
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