Not only did Orbea’s French biker ride to victory, but Catherine Pendrell took second and Ren Chengyuan took third in the women’s competition.
Julien Absalon rode a perfect race.
There was no question about it. The bikers did five full laps around the mythical Houffalize circuit, and Julien stayed in the leaders’ group the whole way. During the first laps Hermida, Peraud, Kurschat, Naef and Absalon formed a group accompanied by five other racers, who set the pace of the race. They all looked at each other waiting to see who would break away. And it was the usual winner.
When the final lap started the Orbea competitor attacked and got away from Naef, Kurschat and Stander… After that, all he needed to do was hold onto his advantage and not make any mistakes. His strength did not fail him, and he crossed the finishing line victoriously within two hours, with his hands held high. Absalon continues to dominate the World Cup series with 700 points, 160 more than his nearest rival Wolfram Kurschat and 240 more than Burry Stander, who holds third place. Rubén Ruzafa and Iñaki Lejarreta were less fortunate, finishing in 24th and 30th positions. Breathing problems due to influenza plagued the competitors, who hail from the Malaga and the Basque Country, and they found it impossible to reach the leading positions. "I know this wasn’t a good result. I felt ill during the entire race. It is the third race. Now we are going to concentrate on Madrid", analysed Ruzafa. Once again, Orbea Alma was on the podium as "Today’s fastest". With his entire bicycle covered in mud and earth, Julien was unstoppable. Pendrell and Chengyuan on the women’s podium Catherine Pendrell and Ren Chengyuan took second and third places in the women’s race. The Canadian is part of the Luna Chix team, sponsored by Orbea and Ren Chengyuan from Orbea Jiangsu (China) rode an amazing race.
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