ProTeam Lennert Van Eetvelt fully back with a strong 7th place in Lombardia
He hoped to end his season—which had its highs and lows—on a positive note, starting with Il Lombardia this morning in Bergamo. Six hours of racing later, he could say in Como that he had succeeded in that goal. After a tough race, he finished a strong seventh. “I would have liked to fight for the podium a bit longer, but I was really at my limit,” Van Eetvelt said at the finish.
As expected, top favorite Tadej Pogacar went solo halfway up the Colma di Sormano—the key point of the day—with almost 50 kilometers to go. Van Eetvelt joined the chase in the background. “That went better than I expected at first. I surprised myself by being able to follow the other chasers for so long, as I had already been fighting cramps for quite a while.”
Van Eetvelt eventually had to let go of the podium hopes. “I was so relieved when I saw the finish line (laughs). I had hoped for more than seventh place beforehand. After a month without racing, I came to the start feeling really fresh. At one point, I was hoping to fight for third place, but then I felt my legs… and I had to be realistic. I was just happy I made it over that final climb.”
“In the end, I look back with satisfaction at my first completed monument. That I could still finish seventh among the big names with not the best legs and cramps up to my ears is a boost. It’s been a strange year for me, with a lot of setbacks, but also some great results. I’m glad I can add something positive to my season in this way.”
Picture: Brecht Steenhouwer
