"I knew I would ruin my chances if I started too early" - Luca Mozzato nets career-best victory at Binche - Chimay - Binche with perfectly timed sprint

Timing is key in cycling and Luca Mozzato showed that today. Less than two months after a stage win at the Tour de Limousin, the Arkéa Samsic rider continues to show great form and beat strong World Tour competition today head-on to win Binche - Chimay - Binche.

A hard race, the final kilometers proved to be tactical with several attacks shedding sprinters from the peloton. The Italian came into his own, the route proved very well suited for him, and the punchy finale into town even more. He benefited from a late crash, his positioning was perfect and it thinned down the amount of contenders going into the finish line together. “We really had to race from the front all the time. And then you also have to deal with a peloton that is almost exploding from nervousness. Although that constant stress is also a part of this competition," he tells in a post-race interview.

Then it was all about making his move at the right time. Soren Kragh Andersen launched his attack from the cobbled still early on, Edward Theuns did an all-out effort to close down the gap, and behind them was a trio which Mozzato used to have shelter from the wind for a few important seconds. Then close to the finish he had to do it himself, but had enough kick in the legs left for an acceleration that saw him overtake Andersen and Theuns right before the line.

"I am of course very happy that I was able to complete it. I knew I would ruin my chances if I started too early," the 25-year old says after the biggest win of his career. "However, in such a final you also need a bit of luck. I had a nice reference point in Theuns and Andersen.”