Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe have had the perfect week at the Challenge Mallorca. After winning the team time trial and having
Remco Evenepoel win both mountainous races;
Arne Marit sprinted to victory at the
Trofeo Palma.
The final race of the Challenge Mallorca was always going to be one for the sprinters, without climbs on the day to mark the event. A breakaway of two riders, Danny van der Tuuk and Ole Theiler, marked the first half of the race but they were caught very far from the finish. With 70 kilometers to go we had a new one headlined by UAE Team Emirates - XRG's Rune Herregodts, who was joined by Michel Hessmann, Jasha Sutterlin and Jelle Johannink.
The quartet arrived at Palma de Mallorca still in front and one by one they cracked until only Herregodts was left in front, who was caught only with a few kilometers to go. The final kilometers were marked by a small crash that disrupted a few leadouts in the peloton, which in the end saw main favourite Dylan Groenewegen absent from contention.
The sprint was chaotic with Ivan García Cortina launching his sprint first. In his wheel was
Arne Marit, who managed to then sprint to victory - his first in the
Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe jersey, and a very meaningful one for the Belgian. Max Kanter and Marit's teammate Alessio Magagnotti ompleted the podium.