WorldTour
Mick van Dijke celebrates his first professional victory on home soil
Riding as part of a breakaway, Mick van Dijke secured the first victory of his career. On the third stage of the Eneco Tour through the Netherlands, the 26-year-old won a two-man uphill sprint.
The stage, just 110 kilometres long, was contested on a circuit to be completed five times, featuring a number of small hills. The decisive factor, however, was the wind, which split the peloton into several smaller groups. Just under 40 kilometres from the finish, Mick managed to break away into the leading group, which from then on comprised seven riders.
“I’ve finally managed to secure my first victory, which I’ve been chasing for five and a half years now.”
As they entered the final lap, three of them remained. Shortly afterwards, Victor Campenaerts attacked and only Mick was able to follow. The duo reached the foot of the finishing climb with a lead of just under half a minute over the first pursuers, where the Dutchman then proved to be the stronger rider.
Finn Fisher-Black remains third in the general classification
Finn Fisher-Black crossed the finish line in ninth place, 33 seconds behind. He remains third in the general classification, 30 seconds behind the new leader, Campenaerts. Mick also made a leap forward and is now seventh, exactly one minute behind.
Mick van Dijke: "Finally, I’ve managed to get my first win, something I’ve been chasing for five and a half years. I took it easy in the time trial to save some energy for today, and that plan worked out pretty well.The situation in the race wasn’t entirely straightforward for me. I was in the breakaway, but I couldn’t contribute to the pace because Finn was also fighting for the general classification. It was only when I was alone with Campenaerts that I started to help out a little. In the end, that also helped me in the finale, as I had a bit more left in the tank."
Christian Pömer, Sports Director: "We’re really happy for Mick to have secured his first win. He is usually one of the team’s most reliable and valuable domestiques, so it’s great to see him get this result. Tomorrow, we hope he can return to his role as a domestique and road captain, helping us put the overall leader under pressure with Finn Fisher-Black.”
