Another podium for Clarke at the Vuelta Ciclista a la Región de Murcia
It was yet another podium for Simon Clarke at the Vuelta Ciclista a la Región de Murcia, following his third place at the Cadel Evans Road Race, finishing second behind Brit Ben Turner.
Knowing the finish suited his characteristics, Clarke played it almost to perfection and showed his strength in the sprint.
“When I saw the final I thought this is my finish. I meant it was a little bit dangerous coming into the final there but finding good position like that is my thing so, I just made sure I picked the right side of the corners and lined myself up for the finish. Turner just had a better turn of speed than me in that last 100m. But it was great to be there contesting for the win,” said Clarke at the finish line.
Clarke is keen to build on this form and deliver more for the team in the season to come.
“It was great to bring some form from the races in Australia, and it’s good to get on the podium and get some results for the team. Hopefully I can get some more strong finishes in the races to come.”
With adverse weather conditions affecting the day, the course was shortened and the climb to the Alto Collado Bermejo was suspended due to snow, being replaced with a third category climb. With the early breakaway featuring Mads Würtz Schmidt being caught, the boys worked on keeping Simon safely in the bunch ready for the finish, where they managed to place him well.
Sports Director Rene Mandri was pleased with the result, praising how the team worked together, and knows that results will come soon with the guys working well together.
“It was a really hard day of racing, especially given how the course was changed last minute due to bad weather. However, our riders managed to place Simon really well, and he showed how clever he is, taking all the corners in the final perfectly, and following the right wheels. He had a great sprint, but Turner was just stronger today. Generally it was a good race for the team and the guys can be happy with the result. We are getting closer to the wins, we’re very close now!” Added Mandri.
