Megan Jastrab 4th in Modena after strong teamwork

After yesterday’s stage for the climbers, today saw a stage that was destined to end in a fast finish, with Team dsm-firmenich’s Megan Jastrab taking a good fourth place at the line after some strong teamwork.

A mostly flat 118 kilometres awaited the peloton on Sunday as they rolled out of Formigine, and despite a sharp climb, the 70 kilometres of flat after it ensured that the day would end in a sprint. Working well as a group, the team protected each other well and kept fast-finisher Jastrab safe throughout the day. The original breakaway of three was caught at around 50 kilometres to go and some more attacks saw a new trio go clear. With the gap reaching one minute and 15 seconds with 20 kilometres to go, the team came to the fore and began to set tempo; reeling in the attackers at eight kilometres to go.

Fighting well as a group the team maintained their position at the head of the peloton before last lead-out rider Franziska Koch took over with two kilometres to go, bringing Jastrab to the front. Unfortunately, the Team dsm-firmenich duo lost each other a bit in the finale, with Jastrab taking a smart line through the final corner, producing a good kick and taking a solid fourth place finish in Modena.

 

“It was hard for a so-called ‘sprint day’, there were a lot of turns and roundabouts and the bunch was hectic,” explained Jastrab. “The climb in the middle was quite hard too, we thought it was going to be hard in the lead into it and it was, then it was quite relaxed before the pace went up as some riders fought for QOM points. I was in a second group but we weren’t really stressed and it came back together, and from the point we were always together as a team which was really nice to see. We don’t have a full sprint group here and are mixed with the GC, so we made a plan and used everyone’s strengths to the best of our ability and the girls gave one hundred percent for me. We started the lead-out early to keep us safe and keep Franziska and I as fresh as possible; the girls really turned themselves inside out for me. It was just Franziska and I together at around two kilometres to go and she did an amazing job keeping me in position. It got hectic with the right turn at 800 metres to go and I lost her a bit, which was a crucial moment, and I regret that. I tried to come back and some gaps opened up on the inside and I sprinted from there. After you exit the turn you don’t make up places, so I came out of it in fourth and finished fourth. I wanted more and know we could have got more as we had a good plan. It didn’t work out exactly like we wanted but there are more opportunities in the future.”

Team dsm-firmenich coach Kelvin Dekker added: “It was quite hectic today. There was a lot of towns, road furniture, lots of corners and a mostly flat stage. The climb was taken quite hard and we were solid through it and after that it went quite easily in the bunch. We built up towards the final climb again and we were really there and tried our best. We had a clear plan and everyone did their tasks to the best they could. Being on the front was good to hold the position but maybe we went a little bit early and spent some energy there. Francesca and Eleonora did a great job as climbers in the last ten kilometres as part of the lead-out. Megan didn’t really have to worry too much worry about and then Franziska took over at two kilometres to go just us planned but the unfortunately lost each other at around one kilometre to go. You saw in the final that Megan still had a good kick, took a good line and got fourth place. With all of the teamwork from today then I think we deserved a bit more and hoped for a bit more, but fourth is still a nice result, and we can build on that in the coming stages.”