Taillieu secures sixth place in NXT Classic
# Taillieu Shines with Sixth Place Finish at NXT Classic
Eijsden served as the starting and finishing point for the 51st edition of the NXT Classic, where riders tackled a grueling 196-kilometer route across the rolling hills of Limburg, featuring approximately twenty climbs. The event saw Team Visma | Lease a Bike represented by a balanced mix of seasoned professionals and emerging talent, including Wilco Kelderman, Bart Lemmen, Pietro Mattio, Anton Schiffer, Ashlin Barry, Mikal Grumstad Uglehus, and Aldo Taillieu.
The race began with an exhilarating breakaway of four riders, which set a competitive tone early on. As the challenging course progressed, the peloton was increasingly whittled down, particularly during the climbs, leading to multiple group splits. Taillieu and Lemmen remained focused and strategically placed themselves in the front group, while Kelderman faced a series of unfortunate setbacks that caused him to lose contact with the main pack.
With over fifty kilometers remaining, the peloton reformed, paving the way for a strong leading group, which prominently featured Taillieu, Lemmen, and other top contenders. In the latter stages, Tibor Del Grosso and Mauro Schmid surged ahead, leaving the rest of the competitors behind. In a thrilling two-man sprint through the streets of Eijsden, Del Grosso emerged as the champion.
Taillieu, however, continued to impress by finishing with an admirable sixth place in the chasing pack.
“Aldo’s sixth place was the best we could achieve today,” said sports director Robert Wagner. “As a team, we had a lot of bad luck. Wilco had to change bikes twice due to a flat tire, and Pietro and Ashlin also suffered punctures. With about 130 kilometers still to go, Anton was involved in a crash, which meant we lost a rider early on.”
Wagner further elaborated, “We entered the finale with Aldo and Bart in a strong position. It was too tough to respond to the attack from Del Grosso and Schmid. Those two stood out today, we have to acknowledge that. It’s great to see Aldo take sixth place in a challenging race like this. He’s only in his second season at the U23 level and his first with our team. This result will give him a lot of confidence heading into next week’s Paris-Roubaix Espoirs.”
In the final standings, Tibor Del Grosso of Alpecin-Premier Tech took the win with a time of 04:35:03, while Taillieu’s efforts secured him a significant positioning in the chase, rounding out the day’s achievements for Team Visma | Lease a Bike amidst the challenges presented by the course.
