Deceuninck-Quick Step’s Colombian took his second stage win while Bahrain-Merida’s Ukrainian sailed the 2019 Adriatica Ionica Race overall win ahead of Ben Hermans and James Knox
2019 Adriatica Ionica Race finished in the rain in Trieste, where Deceuninck-Quick Step’s Alvaro Hodeg gave an encore of his previous win in the stage 2 in Grado, emerging in the bunch sprint in style. There were no surprires in the last stage from Cormons to Trieste (103,5 km) and Ukrainian Mark Padun bagged his deserved overall win shaped on the Dolomitic stage in Misurina Lake.
“Today’s stage was very demanding and nervous. My gratitude to the whole team that dave me support and condifence day by day. I want to grow further in stage races that are my target. I had an unlucky season so far due to an annoying tendonitis. This race is a new start for me”, Padun said.
The daring move of the day saw four riders – Winner Anacona (Movistar), Matteo Badilatti(Israel Cycling Academy), Joel Nicolau (CajaRural-Seguros RGA) and Thimo Willems(SportVlaanderen-Baloise) – in the frontline but their advantage never exceeded the 2 minutes as the strongest teams streaving to keep the gap under control with different goals: Astana looking for a success, Deceuninck-Quick Step to pave the Hodeg’ way ahead of the sprint, Bahrain-Merida to safeguard the GC leader Mark Padun.
“I was looking for this win with the full cooperation of my teammates. Evenepoel and Honoré kept the breakaway, not easy in such a short stage. Senechal and Knox opened the way at their best in the finale, happy to reward all of them with this success”, Hodeg commented.