Bennett celebrates Sparkassen Münsterland Giro win, Extension at Wanty-Groupe Gobert for Offredo, Colombian Julian Cardona signs for Slipstream
Image 1 of 5
Jasper De Buyst (Lotto Soudal)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Sam Bennett (Bora-Hansgrohe)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
A photo finish in Sparkassen Munsterland Giro(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Yoann Offredo (Fra) Wanty - Groupe Gobert and Taylor Phinney (Cannondale-Drapac) near the end of stage 2
Julián Cardona (Medellin-Inder)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Binche-Chimay-Binche win seals Belgian Cycling Cup for De Buyst
Before July, Jasper De Buyst was yet to win a race as a professional. The 23-year-old Lotto Soudal rider now has four wins to his name and is the 2017 Belgian Cycling Cup champion.
De Buyst bested the inform Italian Matteo Trentin (QuickStep-Floors) and Wanty-Groupe Gobert's Tom Devriendt to claim Binche-Chimay-Binche.
"I'm very satisfied with my result, of course. Binche-Chimay-Binche is a very difficult race, and if you can still win it at the end of the season, you can be happy," said De Buyst. "I beat Matteo Trentin, who is probably one of the best riders in the world at the moment, and that makes the victory a little more beautiful."
While De Buyst was chasing the win, he was also focused on securing the points needed for the Belgian Cycling Cup and explained Trentin's work during the race helped eliminate his main rival.
"With eighty kilometres to go, Trentin made a great effort to reduce the breakaway to ten riders, and that really worked in my favor, because Kenny Dehaes, my main opponent in the Belgian Cycling Cup, was no longer in the group," De Buyst said. "I was able to take three intermediate sprints, which put me at the top of the overall standings. From this moment onwards, I could focus on the race victory without any worries."
De Buyst, who rode with the Bontrager Livestrong Team in 2012, added that in the finale he was looking at Trentin to make a move and was relieved the race was decided in a sprint.
"I expected Trentin to try something in the final kilometre and I knew I had to stay in his wheel," he said. "When I came to the top of the climb, I had the feeling that my chances were really high in the sprint and I'm glad that I could finish it off."
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
Along with his Binche-Chimay-Binche win, De Buyst has also won Grote Prijs Stad Zottegem, Heistse Pijl and a stage of the Tour de Wallonie since July.
After three DNF results, Sam Bennett returned to the winner's table at Sparkassen Münsterland Giro getting the better of a high-quality sprint field. The Bora-Hansgrohe rider outkicked Phil Bauhaus, Andre Greipel, and Marcel Kittel in a four-up sprint spread across the finish line.
While the Irishman has won stages of Paris-Nice, Tour of Slovenia and Czech Cycling Tour in 2017, Bennett wasn't converting in one-day races despite his previous results. However, with a sprint finish all but assured due to the number of sprinters in the peloton, Bennett's inside line and bike throw was enough to take the win.
"It's an amazing feeling to took the win, especially after this strong startlist here today! It was so close but I am so happy and want to thank my whole team for their great teamwork and work today!" said Bennett.
Soaking in the victory, Bora's sports director André Schulze explained the team went into the race prepared for several different outcomes. One of those tactics was a repeat of the opening Giro d'Italia stage when Lukas Pöstlberger took a late flyer to steal in for the win. The Pöstlberger tried again in Munster but didn't have the same success.
With the late attacks snuffed out, Schulze added the team went with both Bennett and Matteo Pelucchi for the sprint.
"Matteo could go for himself today and try after a long time without races. He finished 6th which makes me really happy, he had some health problems the last weeks so I am happy to see him back on the road in a good shape," Schulze said. "In the sprint Sam was just incredible. The team did a great job and Sam finished this great teamwork with a well-deserved victory. I am more than happy."
Extension at Wanty-Groupe Gobert for Offredo
With his teammates lined out at Binche-Chimay-Binche, Yoann Offredo was at the headquarters of Wanty in Binche, signing a two-year contract extension with Wanty-Groupe Gobert.
The 30-year-old joined the Belgian team in 2017, making his Tour de France debut, having turned professional with FDJ in 2007. Offredo explained that last year there was trepidation with a change of teams but the experience has been better than expected and signing on was an easy decision.
"I am a loyal person, both in love and in sports. After many years at FDJ, an extended stay at Wanty-Groupe Gobert seemed a logical continuation because I understand the team's way of working," Offredo said. "When I signed here there was a risk on multiple levels. It was a jump in the unknown. Eventually it was a success and I even discovered another version of myself. Someone who is capable of setting goals and achieving them: learning a new language, riding a Grand Tour, ... I've already had a lot of fun here."
With knee tendinitis forcing Offredo into an early end of racing for 2017, team manager Jean-François Bourlart explained he is expecting more of the same from the Frenchman in the next two seasons.
"Yoann is an important rider for the team. At the sportive level he is one of our major assets in the spring classics," Bourlart said. "Hopefully, the successful completion of the Tour will enable him to step up one more step in 2018. Yoann is also important for our young riders' environment. He represents everything we search for in a rider, so it's logical that we put everything in place for an extended stay at Wanty-Groupe Gobert."
Colombian Julian Cardona signs for Slipstream
The Colombian national cycling federation has announced U23 national time trial champion Julián Cardona has signed for EF Education First-Drapac p/b Cannondale. The 20-year-old has ridden with the Continental Medellin-Inder team in South American this season.
Cardona will join compatriots Egan Bernal (Team Sky) and Álvaro Hodeg (Quick Step Floors) in stepping up into the WorldTour from 2018 and joins Rigoberto Uran as Colombians on the EF Education team.
"I want to make my abilities as a rider and as a person known, to learn and in the difficult moments that can arise, who better to get me out of there than the great 'Rigo'? " said Cardona of the move according the national federation.
Cardona will join Logan Owen (Axeon Hagen Bermans), Sacha Modolo (UAE Team Emirates), Dan McLay (Team Fortuneo - Oscaro) as new signings on the team which has raced under the Cannondale-Drapac team name in 2017.
