Seven riders from BIKE AID competed in the Grand Prix du Morbihan last Saturday. After some good preparation in the region, they crossed the start line in Grand Champ. The attacks didn't take long to come and Jesse de Rooij rode into the breakaway group of the day after only two kilometers! This was the main goal of the team. Together with five other riders, Jesse managed to keep the field at distance for more than 130 kilometers. As a result, the BIKE AID jersey was also represented in the live broadcast for most of the day. After a very strong performance of the Dutchman, the breakaway group was slowly caught up by the peloton in the last quarter of the race.
On the final circuit, the World Tour teams decided to turn up the intensity of the race. The entire Team BIKE AID was now only working for Dawit Yemane, who was able to prove his great shape once again. With each lap the group around Dawit was getting smaller. At the final uphill sprint, the Eritrean gave everything to finish in a decent 22nd place, 11 seconds behind the winner!
On the second day of racing in Brittany, the beautiful weather of the previous days changed abruptly. At the start of the 39th edition of Tro-Bro Léon, it rained, turning the nearly 208-kilometer Paris-Roubaix-like course into a mud bath.
After just 30 kilometers, Julian Lino, Jesse de Rooij and Lucas Carstensen had mechanical problems, depriving them of the opportunity to join the group of the day. Due to the slippery and challenging conditions of the course, some BIKE AID riders crashed. One can only speak of luck that none of them had to abandon the race due to injury.
In the end, only Jasper Pahlke and Léo Bouvier managed to finish this extremely challenging race. Their long and successful background on the cyclo-cross bike made the difference on this day characterized by demanding gravel sections. After an incredible day on the bike, the two crossed the finish line arm in arm!
Getting an invitation for GP du Morbihan and Tro-Bro Léon honored Team BIKE AID greatly. " There are no bigger and more prestigious races for a continental team to ride. We performed well on Saturday. With one rider in the leading group, we achieved exactly what we have to fulfill there, from an organizer's point of view, with the result that our team was visible and talked about in the media." According to Matthias Schnapka.
Coming Sunday the next one-day race, Rund um Köln, with some high class competition, is on the agenda!
