Development Alec Segaert wins Il Piccolo Lombardia

The 19-year-old Belgian and rider of the Lotto Soudal Development Team Alec Segaert has won Il Piccolo Lombardia. After 170 kilometres of racing in Lombardia, Segaert was the strongest of a small front group that sprinted for the win in Oggiono. Segaert beat amongst others the U23 world champion Fedorov, who flanked him as 2^nd on the podium.

After a silver medal at the past U23 Time Trial World Championships and a strong performance at the road race, the first-year espoir impressed once again. That way, Il Piccolo Lombardia, the U23 version of the cycling Monument Il Lombardia, is becoming a successful race for the Lotto Soudal Development Team as also in 2016 and 2020, Harm Vanhoucke and Harry Sweeny returned home with the victory.

The decisive moment at Il Piccolo Lombardia happened on the iconic Madonna del Ghisallo climb, says Alec Segaert, who recently signed a three-year agreement at Lotto Dstny. “I had a great feeling all day long and on the Ghisallo climb, the longest one of the course, we went away with five riders. After two climbs on the local lap, the front group was further reduced to three, but when we gambled a bit at the end, a fourth rider could come back just before the final corner. I made it a long sprint on the small cobles and that way I managed to hold off world champion Fedorov. To win a big race like Il Piccolo Lombardia in this fashion, of course gives me a kick.”

Image: Charlotte Pudepiece.