Baloise Belgium Tour

Sport Director Gennady Mikhaylov

“The guys were doing a very good job throughout the opening part of the race, working together and holding position as fourth team in the bunch and then we got unlucky with the crash, but hey that’s cycling and no one was injured, so we smile, say our thanks and move on.”

“Tomorrow we have the individual time trial up on the coast at Knokke-Heist and although it’s flat it could easily be 11 kilometers against the wind as much as the clock, so, we’re hoping for the best from the weather and also that our guys recover well tonight.”

Declan Irvine (AUS)

“For the first 100 kilometers we were riding really well as a team, all together towards the front of the peloton and then just before we hit the final circuits there was a crash just in front and four of us went down. We couldn’t avoid it and it totally disrupted our momentum and our race today.”

“We managed to get back into the bunch and I’m thankful that we are all ok, but the circuits were classic Belgian, narrow, up and down and really technical, so we didn’t have a chance to regain the front part of the bunch and then the race split, and we just tried to hold on.”

“It’s quite positive overall though, we all finished, we worked together and helped each other through the tough part to come out of the other side and after the crash I hope no one’s too stiff for the time trial tomorrow.”

Sport Director Gennady Mikhaylov:

“Our target today was for all our guys to come through without any issues and try to try as hard as possible, gain some good experience and learn as much as we can. We are not hugely experienced time trialists and with the big guys that are here targeting the overall, it was never going to be our objective to have a go on this stage.”

“That said, it was pleasing to see our guys giving it their best shot out there. It was a flat course, made for big powerful riders, but it was great to see Peter in particular shaking off the effects of yesterday’s crash and almost catch his minute man.”

Peter Kusztor:

“That was awesome! I really enjoyed it. I felt good despite the crash yesterday and I was able to put some good power down. It was windy, but not too bad and to be honest I prefer going into the head/cross wind because a tailwind does more favours for the bigger, heavier riders.”

“I am pleased. I am not a young man anymore so to go well is satisfying and I hope it means some positive signs for the rest of the Belgium Tour.”

Sport Director Gennady Mikhaylov:

“It’s frustrating that we just missed the breakaway today. Oliver attacked first and it didn’t stick, but the next move did, that’s just the way that it goes sometimes. After the breakaway was established, we regrouped and held a good position in the bunch to help Peter and Declan.”

“Logan, Oliver and Sam did great work looking after their teammates today. Logan was back to the cars for bottles even when he was suffering and by his own admission, that gave purpose to his suffering which cannot be underestimated on a hot day like today.”

Oliver Behringer

“I tried to get in the first breakaway straight out of the neutral zone, but unfortunately it didn’t happen, and the bunch regrouped, but only for a moment and the next attacks to spring were what formed the break. There were a lot of twists and turns in the beginning and it wasn’t possible to bridge across.

“After that we made a really good decision as a team to look after Declan and Peter and help each other. So, I was able to recover from the early effort and then do my job for the team with everyone else and prepare for the circuits.

“I think it was key that we worked so well for each other going into the finishing laps, because we were able to keep Declan and Peter up near the front, before Sam and I dropped off on the last lap and rode tempo to the line.”

Sport Director Gennady Mikhaylov:

“Today was for sure the toughest stage of the race starting with the iconic Mur du Huy and then steadily getting more difficult with repeated climbs over the final circuits. Yet again the boys did a good job of helping and looking out for one another when the going got tough.”

“The race split to pieces on the final circuits and Peter dropped out of the front group, but he kept his head and fought hard to get back up towards the front before the finish and in the end, he finished in the second group, just behind the sprinters.”

Peter Kusztor:

“I am really enjoying this race. The team is working very well together, and we are developing a really good understanding between each other that makes everything feel a little bit easier and somehow, I feel like I have more energy to fight in the final kilometers. I guess that’s the team spirit!”

“We were positioned quite close to the front going into the last 50 kilometers, but once the race split behind the breakaway it became quite chaotic and I tried to stay up there as long as I could, but it was too fast.”

“On the last lap I managed to get back into the second group and I really wanted to have a go at the finish, because I like that kind of sweeping, slightly uphill finale, but we couldn’t bring the sprinters group back and that was it. C’est la vie.”

Sport Director Gennady Mikhaylov:

“This has certainly been a week of experience gained for us. We need to do more of this style of racing to help us develop and progress. The teamwork and support we showed for each other this week have been excellent and for me, that’s almost as important as the results.”

“It’s a shame we missed out on the breakaway today, but we tried repeatedly, and it ended up going very late, after 30 kilometres of racing and we just missed the move. It’s not easy when it’s like that, we wanted very much to be up the road today and sharing our message.”

“I prefer to look at the positive and the positive are the first points I made. The experience gained and the lessons learned. They’re the things we need to carry forward from this race.”

Peter Kusztor (HUN):

“Yes, that’s true. Our target was to go in the breakaway and we were disappointed when we didn’t manage it, but afterwards we tried to regroup and finish as well as we possibly could.”

“Today was a pure sprinters stage, not for skinny guys like me and without an out and out sprinter here we were always going to be outsiders for this kind of stage. We can go away with our head held high though, after a good week of racing we are in a positive place ahead if our next objective in Switzerland.”