Riley Pickrell wins stage 1 of Sibiu Cycling Tour
Riley Pickrell finished off an impeccable team performance by his IPT teammates in the opening stage of Sibiu Cycling Tour as he stormed to victory after a powerful sprint.
“The boys were amazing today. We had a hard time convincing other teams to help with the chase so Froomey took it upon himself to chase as soon the as the breakaway was established and he did a really great job.”
“We have three sprinters here in the race, so I really appreciate that Itamar [Einhorn] and Hugo [Hofstetter] both said they would commit to giving me the best shot at winning today. Hugo dropped me off perfectly in the final and I’m really happy I could deliver for the boys!”
Sibiu Cycling Tour is clearly a race to the 23-year-old Canadian’s liking. Last year, Pickrell took his first professional victory here, while also finishing second on the same technical finish as where he won today.
Pickrell is now leading Sibiu Cycling Tour ahead of Friday’s decisive mountain top finish on Bâlea Lac. IPT sports director, Francesco Frassi, is eagerly looking forward to what he hopes will be another good day for the team.
“Today, the whole team was fantastic throughout the stage, setting up Riley for the win. Tomorrow, our focus will be on Matthew Riccitello, who is our leader for GC here. Matthew feels really good at the moment, so we have high hopes”, Frassi explains.
Photos: Mario Stiehl
