Ridolfo Delivers a Top-20 at Grand Prix Criquielion 

 Italian Filippo Ridolfo delivered a strong performance for Team Novo Nordisk at the Grand Prix Criquielion, holding on through a brutal one-day race to claim a 16th spot finish as the select front group came to the line after a punishing day in the heat. 

The race proved relentless from the outset, with the peloton maintaining a high tempo throughout and the warm conditions adding an extra layer of difficulty for all the riders. Despite a day that offered no let-up, Ridolfo stayed composed and well-positioned, aided by strong support from teammate Antonio Polga, who played a key role in the closing stages. 

With two laps remaining, the race exploded as attacks on the climbs divided the peloton and forced the decisive split, allowing for a small group to go into a breakaway. By the summit of the final climb with 10km to go, only 20–25 riders remained at the front of the bunch, and with no one willing to drive the pace, the small breakaway got to the line, setting up a frantic finale for the peloton soon after. 

“All the day was quite a steady hard pace, never really easy and the heat also played a big role,” said Ridolfo. “Two laps to go they started to open the gas on the climbs, the pace went up a lot and the group split. [Antonio] Polga helped me during the last lap and in the last climb at 10km to go I felt really good. Unfortunately, I missed a bit of explosiveness in the legs at the end!” 

Despite the frustration of the closing moments, the Italian can take real encouragement from a day that showcased both his endurance and the team’s ability to race intelligently under pressure.