Mauro Schmid: "Taking my first win with the Wolfpack it’s fantastic"

Mauro Schmid was a surprising transfer from the Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl Team at the end of last year's transfer season, however the Swiss rider has already banked his first win with the Belgian team at today's stage of the Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali.

Alongside Mattia Cattaneo, Schmid came in as an outsider for the general classification. On the opening day, he's made a move in the final tough climb of the day to join INEOS' Eddie Dunbar in the front of the race. “Then we rode the last 20 kilometers together and we kept the pace high, taking out our advantage to almost one minute. I had confidence in my sprint, because I know that it’s good at the end of the day, and just waited as long as possible before kicking out. Today everything went perfect and we couldn’t have had a better start to the week," Schmid said after the finish. He easily beat the Irish in the sprint, and has become the first race leader, also taking 16 seconds on the road to the chasing peloton.

Schmid was a revelation last year at the Giro d'Italia, winning the gravel stage into Montalcino: “I think Italy is a good place for me. I like the roads and the terrain suits me quite well, and bringing it home today makes me very happy. Taking my first win with the Wolfpack it’s fantastic, I already felt good in Oman where I finished top 10 overall last month, but this success takes some weight off my shoulders and makes me really confident for the upcoming stages here at Coppi e Bartali."

Schmid isn't a pure climber, however he clearly has the form and will be looking to defend his lead in the coming stages. There are four days of racing remaining, all of them potentially dangerous for the overall classification.