Riley Sheehan could almost see the victory within reach through the grey skies, rain, and spray of the soaked finishing straight as he launched his sprint and emptied the tank.
But in the final meters, it slipped away. After opening his sprint a touch early in Libramont-Chevigny, the American lost just enough momentum to see two riders edge past him before the line.
As frustrating as it was, there was no reason for despair. Far from it.
Sheehan says: “With the way the team rode today, it was really inspiring and motivating. They had my back all day and rode incredibly well. In the final, I had Jens [Verbrugghe] and Tom [Van Asbroeck] around me, and I just had to take advantage of all the chaos the rain created.
“It was a scrappy finish, but I knew I had to be courageous and give everything I had after the commitment the team showed. Of course, I hoped to win, but I see the next stages as more great opportunities.”
For the second day in a row, NSN Cycling Team for the Tour de Wallonie executed its race plan almost perfectly. The team rode aggressively, took control when required, and positioned itself to fight for the win. Yet once again, fortune refused to cooperate. On stage 1, Sheehan punctured just before the decisive sprint. Today, victory was denied by mere fractions of a second.
But looking forward , the encouraging signs are right there. Or strongest cards for the general classification remain firmly in contention. Sheehan and the relentlessly aggressive Krists Neilands sit seventh and eighth overall, just six and eight seconds behind stage winner race leader Ben Oliver (MTA).
It is no surprise, then, that the mood inside the team remains upbeat.
Sports Director Dror Pekatch says: “We showed today that we are united, strong, and aggressive. If we keep racing like this for the next three days, we will be right there fighting for a place on the final GC podium.”