'A wild day of racing' – First professional race in Europe and a bunny-hop enabled first podium for New Zealand's Ben Oliver at Vuelta a Andalucía

New Zealand’s Ben Oliver was lining up for his very first skilled race in Europe on Thursday and by the tip of the day he had already stepped as much as the rostrum for brand new staff, Fashionable Journey Professional Biking.

Oliver had already given some indication of the pace he was carrying into the season for his first 12 months as a devoted highway skilled. The 29-year-old, with greater than a decade of racing mountain bikes internationally, took third within the time trial on the nationwide championships in New Zealand after which within the highway race was the primary of riders from the primary peloton over the road, though that left him with sixth given the early break survived.

The break, nevertheless was caught at Vuelta a Andalucía and the staff then turned their focus to placing Oliver in place for the flat run into the road for the dash. Because the sturdy lead outs of groups like Visma-Lease a Bike, UNO X-Mobility and Pinarello-Q36.5 Professional Biking emerged Oliver surfed the wheels to remain in place up close to the entrance. That might have all been to no avail, nevertheless, if not for his fast response to keep away from an accident, with a seamless bunny hop in response to a squeeze onto the curb at a roundabout nicely inside 1km to go.

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“It was a wild day of racing with the boys, the tempo by no means let up the entire day,” mentioned Oliver in a staff assertion. “A whole lot of us acquired over the primary 25k climb then Lucas acquired within the break and the remainder of us managed to stay collectively.”

The assaults flew thick and quick on the 150km stage to Pizarra, with various strong climbs within the first half of the stage, although at 36km to go the break was hauled again in.

“I held on over some fairly hilly terrain in the course of the stage. The three boys I had left with me did an ideal job to navigate me to the end line and get me shut sufficient to maintain me within the combine. Within the final 2k I surfed the wheels as a lot as I might and gave all the pieces to the road,” mentioned Oliver.

Oliver managed to leap on Christophe Laporte’s wheel as he launched for the road and whereas the Visma-Lease a Bike claimed the highest spot simply forward of Bastien Tronchon (Groupama-FDJ United), who was on the cost over the alternative facet of the highway, Oliver had jumped out from behind the victorious French rider to assert third.

It was clearly a end result to be celebrated for the rider, who had additionally given observe a whirl final 12 months, in addition to the ProTeam which have solely simply stepped into the worldwide peloton. The staff now already has two 2.Professional degree race podium outcomes on the outcomes sheet, from Bryan Munton’s second on stage 5 on the AlUla Tour and now Oliver’s third at Vuelta a Andalucía.

“First professional race in Europe and first podium – completely wrapped! Crew vibes are good, now 4 extra days to go,” mentioned Oliver.