Alessandro Pinarello enjoyed the best day of his career so far on Saturday, as he brilliantly won the final stage of O Gran Camiño and also wrapped up third on GC.
Pinarello showed his class to tame the cobbles on the steep and narrow Monte Trega climb after a punchy 154.7km day of racing, as he outsprinted GC rival Jørgen Nordhagen and overall winner Adam Yates to an eye-catching victory.
This was the 22-year-old’s second GC podium of his career, but the level of competition at the five-day Spanish race beats that of the Tour of Antalya in Turkey, where he finished second two years ago. Pinarello also won the points and King of the Mountains classifications to add further shine to an impressive performance.
“This victory gives me a lot of confidence for the season,” says Pinarello, who never finished lower than eighth across the five days of competitive racing.
“I started well this year in Algarve, and I’ve been chasing a win since then, so I’m really happy.
“Adam Yates did a really good job, and I knew I needed to enter the cobbles first or second. I managed to do that and then pulled all the way to the finish line. I think it was really good, and I’m happy.”
Looking ahead to his next race, the second Giro d’Italia start of his career, he adds: “We’ll see how it goes – I hope to be even better there!”
Pinarello was supported by a relatively young NSN squad in the race, with the six-man roster featuring Fin Tarling (19), Patrick Casey (20), home rider Álvaro Garcia (21), and Zac Marriage (22) from the team’s development arm.
The two other WorldTeam riders in the line-up – Nadav Raisberg and George Bennett – were both involved in the action during Saturday’s finale. Raisberg placed himself in the day’s seven-man breakaway, while Bennett enlivened the race with an attack on Alto da Valga with 30 kilometers remaining.
After a regrouping approaching the finish, Bennett helped position Pinarello on the lower part of Monte Trega, dropping him in the wheels of the two riders ahead of him on GC. From there, the Italian showed his class.
“It was a very solid team performance throughout the race,” says DS Rubén Plaza. “The goal was to go for the stage win with Ale or George, and, if possible, move Ale up one place on GC by taking advantage of the finish-line bonus seconds and hopefully picking up a few extra seconds on the line.
“Visma controlled the pace until the bottom of the final climb. From there, Ale managed his effort really well and was able to take the win and ultimately secure third overall.
“The guys did a great job from the start, with George and Nadav taking on leadership roles and showing real commitment all week. Our younger riders gained valuable experience from working alongside the WorldTeam guys.”