First time in Québec, a first top-10 in Québec: Alessandro Pinarello showed his strength once again in a thrilling edition of the Grand Prix Cycliste in the Canadian city on Friday.
Pinarello placed ninth in the 206-kilometer race following an aggressive performance by the Italian and his teammates – notably Riley Sheehan and home rider Pier-André Côté – during nearly five hours of frantic racing.
“If I’m honest, I’m a little bit f****d,” says Pinarello. “It was a fast race, and it was super hard after we got three hours in.
“I think as a team we rode a good race with strong tactics, and I am happy with my result.
”I read the race the right way. It’s a nice result, and racing against so many big names, it gives me confidence. I hope I will have the same legs in Montreal on Sunday.”
Sheehan, who placed 25th, and Pinarello were alert to the action when the splits in the peloton became more significant with seven laps of the race remaining. Pinarello was then the team’s sole representative in a lead group of 14, from which eventual winner Remco Evenepoel (RBH) and podium finishers Giulio Ciccone (LTK) and Anthon Charming (UXM) attacked.