Milan-Turin, Nacer Bouhanni 6ème
Nacer Bouhanni finished sixth in Milan-Turin, the oldest race on the professional calendar.
Photo GettyImages
On the line
“My team-mates did a good job all day. Alessandro rode, Alan and Kévin put me in view of the final, with Luca also at 6-7 kilometres from the finish. I still lack automatisms with my team-mates, but I feel that I am progressing. At the red light, I know that it is over for me to go for the victory. I was in 25/30th position before the last turn at 800 metres, I sprinted on the left side to get back on the inside. I gain about 15 places, but for the win, it was over. I had made my effort before the sprint. I sprinted more to get a second place, because I didn’t have any energy left at the moment of the sprint. We were too far back in the final, so I took the option on the left side and on the inside to go up”.
The debrief’
“Alessandro had been appointed to ride and control the breakaway riders in order to neutralize the time taken by the break, a mission he accomplished. In the final, there were eleven roundabouts in six kilometres seven hundred. The riders always tried to be well placed. A crash disorganised us, but then the guys found each other. Our sprint was a bit disorganised in the final, Nacer made an effort on the left in the final to get back into Gaviria’s wheel. This cost him a big effort before the final sprint”.