"This is the biggest victory of my career" - Jan Tratnik takes stunning success at 2024 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Cycling
Whilst many will have predicted a Team Visma | Lease a Bike triumph at the 2024 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Jan Tratnik wouldn't have been top pick. Nevertheless, it was the Slovenian who triumphed in a thriller on Saturday.
"We know we have a strong team. Today I was also here in more of a domestique role s I certainly didn't expect it myself," reflected Tratnik in his post-race interview having taken victory ahead of Nils Politt with Wout van Aert ensuring two Team Visma | Lease a Bike riders on the podium. “The men did very well halfway through the race. I sat a little from the back so I could relax as much as possible. It wasn't really a controlled chase. It was accelerating all the time and then stalling again. Still, I had to continue to believe in it."
With a very strong, six man group looking very strong for the win, Tratnik and the rest of the peloton looked to have lost any hopes of victory. But in a thrilling final 15km everything came back together. "Then we grabbed them back and I was able to counter," Tratnik recalls. "This is the biggest victory of my career."
"Although I was a bit afraid whether I could win the sprint. Nils Politt started very early and then I started to believe in it. It is very nice to be on stage," he concludes delightedly.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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🇧🇪 #OHN24 Incredible. 🤩
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