Juan Sebastián Molano made history in France. In a race in which 42 riders did not finish, one of them ran out of handlebars on his main bike and also on his spare (Hugo Hofstetter) and another fell into a mucky field (Stan Dewulf), which was as hard as They give 12 sections of pavé and that contains the rigor of being known as the little Paris Roubaix, in that race the Colombian from the UAE Emirates won.
The pavé, sacred ground of Belgium and northern France, cobblestones that are sanctuaries for pilgrims of the classical and grounds adorned with mud and dust, for Colombians they are hardly distant and little explored scenarios. Much less, atmospheres for triumph. That is why when one dares, it is historic. Without ignoring the triumph of Leonardo Duque in the Druivenkoers – Overijse in 2005, Molano’s at the Denain Grand Prix is unique in Colombian cycling.
The status of the Denain Grand Prix
This race is one of the most prestigious in the world of cycling. It was created in 1959 with a different name, “that year the event was named the Grand Prix Sonneclair after the name of a radio and television brand represented in Denain by a merchant who loves cycling and is very involved in the carnival celebrations, Léon Daumerie”, says the official website.
After 64 years of history, the competition has seen champions such as José Samyn, Christian Callens, Walter Planckaert, Frédéric Moncassin, Edvald Boasson Hagen, Arnaud Démare, Nacer Bouhanni, Matheu van der Poel and Jasper Phillipsen. In a competition in which Belgium and France are the most winners, since this year the name of Colombia appears with a magnificent victory in the Nord Pas de Calais region where the cobblestone religion had never seen a beetle win.
Besidesthe race is categorized by the UCI in the Pro Series 1.Pro, that is, the second category of cycling after the World Tour and belongs to the French Cup.
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The difficulty of the competition and the category of Molano
The stages that Juan Sebastián Molano wins are normally flat routes, some with third or fourth category mountain prizes, and that end up with a massive pack that is normally respected by the whole peloton.
This time was different. Molano had to overcome 12 pavé sectors with the difficulty that this represents, keeping up with the pace that other runners set from the start and resist until reaching the last kilometers where he disputed the victory with only three cyclists in a reduced sprint.
Molano, his teammate Mikkel Bjerg, Timo Kielich, Tim van Dijke and Edvald Boasson Hagen defined the title in Denain. These corridors opened a small gap and After overcoming 195 kilometers of broken terrain, they defined the winner.
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Juan Sebastián Molano’s shot
And if he showed courage, resistance, intelligence and a lot of legs throughout the round, in the auction he did what he always does. Follow a pitcher and pack. Bjerg was very important in the victory, as the Dane sacrificed his own victory to be able to launch the Colombian. Molano followed his wheel and beat Kielich from Alpecin with superiority, who finished third Van Dijke del Jumbo, who was second and vented his anger against the handlebars at the finish line.
Molano had difficult moments when arriving at the UAE Emirates, but he managed to overcome them by learning to know his own weaknesses and shortcomings. The team helped him to improve, to contemplate new challenges and to take risks without any pressure. This victory is the sample of that work and It is the hope of Colombian cycling in the exciting pavé.