For the third day in a row, the small Wallonie-Bruxelles team played a key role in a stage of the Tour de Wallonie when Ludwig De Winter took the mountains jersey. Unfortunately, team captain Antoine Demoitie was set back by a mechanical in the finale.
"I'm surprised to take this distinctive jersey," De Winter told Directvelo. "It was not expected at all, especially as the climbs are not really my cup of tea. The instruction this morning, however, was to keep the mountains jersey in the team. So I gave the best for that. Unfortunately, I took second place at the top of the second climb but from there I took maximum points. So it was a good day for me and for the team, especially since it is the first distinctive jersey that I have the opportunity to get in a stage race since I started my career. I still have two beautiful days. And it is clear that it would be great for me and the team to win the jersey.
"To talk about the race itself, I had difficulty joining the breakaway. I had to make a big effort to get to the group of four. I found myself alone for a long time. Fortunately, the group slowed somewhat down since the gap to the peloton was already big, I was able to make the junction. The course was very had and I had to fight to get the points. It was not obvious to me and that explains why it was a little more complicated in the end. "
"I had a mechanical problem in the valley just before the climb of the Citadel," Demoitie told Diretvelo. "In the first corner I was on Gilbert's wheel but my chain didn't work well on the climb. Without this problem, I think I could keep up with the first group. I lost time in the GC which is a shame. But there are still two stages and I want to win."
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