‚A wild day of racing‘ – First pro race in Europe and a bunny-hop enabled first podium for New Zealand’s Ben Oliver at Vuelta a Andalucía

New Zealand’s Ben Oliver was lining up for his very first skilled race in Europe on Thursday and by the tip of the day he had already stepped as much as the rostrum for brand new workforce, Trendy Journey Professional Biking.

Oliver had already given some indication of the pace he was carrying into the season for his first yr as a devoted street skilled. The 29-year-old, with greater than a decade of racing mountain bikes internationally, took third within the time trial on the nationwide championships in New Zealand after which within the street race was the primary of riders from the principle peloton over the road, though that left him with sixth given the early break survived.

The break, nonetheless was caught at Vuelta a Andalucía and the workforce then turned their focus to placing Oliver in place for the flat run into the road for the dash. Because the robust lead outs of groups like Visma-Lease a Bike, UNO X-Mobility and Pinarello-Q36.5 Professional Biking emerged Oliver surfed the wheels to remain in place up close to the entrance. That might have all been to no avail, nonetheless, if not for his fast response to keep away from an accident, with a seamless bunny hop in response to a squeeze onto the curb at a roundabout nicely inside 1km to go.

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“It was a wild day of racing with the boys, the tempo by no means let up the entire day,“ stated Oliver in a workforce assertion. „A number of us received over the primary 25k climb then Lucas received within the break and the remainder of us managed to stay collectively.“

The assaults flew thick and quick on the 150km stage to Pizarra, with numerous strong climbs within the first half of the stage, although at 36km to go the break was hauled again in.

„I held on over some fairly hilly terrain in the course of the stage. The three boys I had left with me did an incredible job to navigate me to the end line and get me shut sufficient to maintain me within the combine. Within the final 2k I surfed the wheels as a lot as I may and gave every part to the road,“ stated Oliver.

Oliver managed to leap on Christophe Laporte’s wheel as he launched for the road and whereas the Visma-Lease a Bike claimed the highest spot simply forward of Bastien Tronchon (Groupama-FDJ United), who was on the cost over the alternative aspect of the street, Oliver had jumped out from behind the victorious French rider to assert third.

It was clearly a end result to be celebrated for the rider, who had additionally given observe a whirl final yr, in addition to the ProTeam which have solely simply stepped into the worldwide peloton. The workforce now already has two 2.Professional degree race podium outcomes on the outcomes sheet, from Bryan Munton’s second on stage 5 on the AlUla Tour and now Oliver’s third at Vuelta a Andalucía.

„First professional race in Europe and first podium – completely wrapped! Crew vibes are good, now 4 extra days to go,” stated Oliver.