"I got swamped by the riders behind me" - Tim van Dijke remains boxed in after sudden drop of pace in the final of stage 18
Cycling
From list of substitutes to becoming his team's sprinter - Tim van Dijke has been through it all with Visma | Lease a Bike at this Giro d'Italia. In the penultimate sprinting opportunity of this year's edition, Van Dijke had his eyes set on getting as close to improving his fourth place from last week as possible.
However the 24-year-old Dutchman got boxed in at a crucial moment, preventing him from sprinting for the top spots. Thus, Van Dijke had to settle for only seventeenth place, although he feels he could've achieved more.
"It was a fast and tricky final, but I felt very good," Van Dijke said afterwards in a press release. "Edoardo was also strong today. After his efforts in the attack, he still did a great job to put me in a good position," he appreciated his Italian teammate's support in the streets of Padova.
"At 900 metres from the finish line, there was an important corner. I was well placed there. From then on, I expected a peloton drawn to a ribbon, but that was not the case. The speed decreased, leaving me swamped by the riders behind me. Unfortunately, I was too far away to fully sprint. Fortunately, the feeling was good. I will try it again in Rome."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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