Matteo Moschetti runner-up in Nokere Koerse

Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team started the 188,2-kilometer long race with Moschetti, Nicoló Parisini, Giacomo Nizzolo, Emīls Liepiņš, Kamil Małecki, David González and Rory Townsend. After an early breakaway of four riders went up the road, the peloton faced many of the bergs and cobbles that make racing in Flanders so special.

The last rider of the breakaway was caught at only ten kilometers from the line but even before that moment many riders attacked in the final hour of racing to avoid a sprint. However, Q36.5 Pro Cycling Team kept their radar focus on the bunch sprint that would eventually come in Nokere to play their cards with Moschetti who already won two races this year.

With help of his teammates Matteo Moschetti moved up to the front of the peloton on the last cobbled sector and held his position in the hectic final five kilometers. The new race finish with a final kilometer on the Waregemsestraat in Nokere has an average gradient of 4%. It’s a challenging sprint but Moschetti held his ground to finish in second place behind race winner Nils Eekhoff.

Matteo Moschetti said directly after the finish: “The team got me in the right position after the last cobbled sector. When Nils Eekhoff launched the sprint I was on his wheel and that’s where I wanted to be. It was a really hard sprint to be honest. He launched the sprint early so I waited and waited to try and save a bit and then pass him in the final but it was really full gas. As a rider you always want to win but sometimes second place isn’t too bad either.”