Lennert Van Eetvelt won the Serra Tramuntana Trophy by overcoming Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) and Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) in a thrilling final sprint involving all three cyclists.
Initial escape
On Friday it was the turn of the Trofeo Serra Tramuntana, one of the one-day races that are part of the Challenge Mallorca. In the 153.8 km race, starting in Selva and finishing in Lluc, there were two second category climbs and one first category climb.
The race was shaken by an initial escape of eight cyclists. Baptiste Planckaert (Intermarché-Wanty) and Dylan Vandestorme (Flanders-Baloise), Jonas Gregaard (Lotto Dstny), Andrea Garosio (Polti Kometa), Alexis Renard (Cofidis), Sebastián Mora (Bugos-BH), Gregor Mühlberger (Movistar) and Samuel Boardman (Project Echelon Racing) were part of the split.
Escape achieved before the main climb of the day
The group was reached with 35 km to go, and on the descent that preceded the climb of Puig Maior (14.3 km with an average of 6.1%), EF Education-EasyPost carried out a decisive maneuver, fragmenting the race into pieces. Among the ten cyclists who stood out, five belonged to the American team, which subsequently set a strong pace in the first kilometers of the day’s main climb.
Although some cyclists managed to get through, the group broke up again when Giovanni Aleotti launched a powerful attack, taking Aleksandr Vlasov and Brandon McNulty with him. Tobias Johannessen responded briefly but was eventually caught alongside Tudor Pro Cycling’s Ilan van Wilder and Yannis Voisard.
Meanwhile, at the front, the trio maintained a collaboration to keep the other competitors at bay. The final decision came in a sprint, where Brandon McNulty initially led, but his choice proved to be the wrong one, as Lennert van Eetvelt overtook him, taking the day’s victory in dominant fashion.
Watch the arrival
Trofeo Serra Tramuntana results
