Uijtdebroeks takes positives from Milano-Torino return despite missing final punch

The Belgian’s campaign had been interrupted at the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana last month, where a crash left him with significant pain in his wrist and elbow and forced him out of the race. While initial fears pointed towards a possible fracture, the injury ultimately proved less severe, though it disrupted his rhythm at a crucial point in the season.

Milano-Torino, then, offered a first real indication of where the 22-year-old stands. On the evidence of his ride in Turin, the signs were positive.

“I’m happy,” Uijtdebroeks said to CyclingProNet. “It’s the first time again with all the positioning and the stress in the bunch, so I need to get used to it. But we entered the climb in perfect position.”

That positioning was hard earned in a race that was ridden at a relentless pace from the outset and exploded on the repeated ascents of Superga. Movistar, lacking the traditional rouleurs to control the approach, instead relied on their climbing depth to guide Uijtdebroeks into contention.

“We didn’t have a team of big, heavy guys, but with our climbing horsepower the guys did it amazing,” he said. “I was exactly where I needed to be.”

Uijtdebroeks was among the most attentive riders on the first ascent of Superga, tracking the moves alongside Tom Pidcock and Primož Roglič. However, the accumulated effort of the race began to tell in the run in to the final climb.

“On the first climb I felt really good, but on the flat I bloated myself a bit, and I paid for that on the last climb,” he said.

Even so, he opted for an aggressive approach in the finale, attempting to anticipate the sprint rather than wait for it.

“I tried to go because I knew in the sprint it would be hard, but I’m still missing a bit of punch. That will come with these efforts.”

Up ahead, Pidcock produced the winning move with 600 metres remaining, distancing Tobias Halland Johannessen and Roglič to take victory. Uijtdebroeks, riding within his limits, followed at his own pace to secure fifth place.

The next race for the Belgian will be the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya next week.