After a second place at the Belgian time trial championships this Thursday, Lotto Dstny rider and neo-pro Alec Segaert has also taken a silver medal at the Belgian elite road championships in Izegem. The heat made it a true war of attrition and the Belgian championships were eventually decided in a sprint between world champion Evenepoel and the 20-year-old Alec Segaert.
 

When just before the final local lap in Izegem the duo Van Aert – Lampaert got caught, the fight for the Belgian tricolour broke loose. Following several attempts, an interesting front group formed including three Lotto Dstny riders: Victor Campenaerts, Jasper De Buyst and Alec Segaert. That move would eventually battle for the Belgian title. The tactical game commenced at ten kilometres from the finish, when Segaert did an all out effort to stay in the wheel of Evenepoel after an attack of the world champion. The duo would eventually stay ahead and sprint for victory. It was Segaert who had to settle for second and the silver medal as Evenepoel proved the fastest. De Buyst finished fifth, Campenaerts seventh.

“I didn’t dare to dream this, it was a fantastic week with also that silver medal at the Belgian ITT championships. This truly was a hell of a race with the heat as additional factor but thanks to the heat protocol of the performance department and the help of the entire team, I could cool down enough”, said Alec Segaert.

The 20-year-old kept his head cool when the Belgian championships entered its decisive phase. “With three Lotto Dstny riders in the front group, we created a good situation. In a tactical game, we needed to be attentive for attacks and when Evenepoel accelerated I had to go all out to follow but we eventually got a gap. Then it was a case of hoping to have something left in the tank to sprint. The goal was to tire out the world champion but after such a long and hard race – one of my longest rides so far – I had to compromise on explosivity. It is a pity but to be beaten by the world champion is not a shame”, Segaert looks back.

Image: Photo News.