30 August 2020, Hajdúszoboszló (HUN)
Jakub Mareczko punched the air with delight today after securing CCC Team’s second victory in as many days, and his first individual win with the team, on stage two at the Tour de Hongrie.
The Italian rider proved unstoppable as he powered up the home straight in Hajdúszoboszló after a strong team effort and lead-out from Kamil Gradek and Åukasz WiÅ›niowski going into the final corner saw Mareczko well-positioned and out of trouble as the finish line came into view.
Mareczko launched his sprint from around fifth position in the bunch and showed his strength and speed as he charged up the left-hand side of the road to take the win ahead of Matteo Moschetti (Trek - Segafredo) and Luca Pacioni (Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec) by almost a full bike’s length.
Earlier in the day, CCC Team sat quietly and comfortably in the main bunch for most of the 158.4-kilometer race as a six-rider breakaway was able to go clear and open up an advantage that reached a maximum of over five minutes.
The pace behind the leaders began to pick up in the second half of the day and with the flat terrain lending itself to a bunch sprint finish, it wasn't until inside the final 10 kilometers that the last rider was caught and the pressure began to build for the sprinters’ team.
CCC Team moved up to the front, using the strength of Gradek and Wiśniowski in the closing five kilometers to guide the Italian rider into the perfect position to ultimately race to victory.
The Winner’s Interview with Jakub Mareczko
Congratulations, Jakub. How are you feeling after today’s win?
“I have been chasing this win for a long time so it feels amazing to finally get it. The team did a great job today especially in the final kilometers so I really want to say thank you to them. We worked really well together and I am happy I could finish it off today with this victory.”
Were you feeling confident coming into the race?
“I was working hard at home and at altitude during the period without racing and I felt like the speed was there to be able to get a win on at least one of the stages at this race. However, I have had some bad luck in the past so I couldn’t say that I was 100 percent confident about getting it. You never know what can happen but, today, everything went right and I am super happy.”
There are more opportunities for sprinters over the next couple of days here. What are your thoughts on the rest of the race?
“For the moment, I am going to take the time to enjoy this victory but I am definitely even more motivated than before and I want to keep this momentum going, and hopefully we can have more success over the next few days here.”
Quotes From the Finish Line
Sports Director, Gabriele Missaglia:
“I am really happy that Jakub was finally able to get the victory he has been looking for. We knew he was in good shape coming into the race and today he was able to show this by taking the win. All of the guys worked really well together and our strategy was to move up to the front and start working for Jakub in the final three kilometers. We saw that our plan worked well as Kamil and Åukasz did a great job to make sure that Jakub was in front and in a good position for the last corner. There are more sprint stages to come so I think we can take a lot of confidence away from today’s result.”
Race Profile
Tour De Hongrie
Stage 2: Debrecen > Hajdúszoboszló (158.4km)
Top 3: 1. Jakub Mareczko (CCC Team) 2. Matteo Moschetti (Trek - Segafredo) 3. Luca Pacioni (Androni Giocattoli - Sidermec)
CCC Team Top 3: 1. Jakub Mareczko 24. Åukasz WiÅ›niowski 27. Attila Valter
