"This was one of my best days of the season" - Bart Lemmen almost surprises favourites at Coppa Bernocchi with a 30km solo
Cycling
Bart Lemmen had a great start to his new contract at Visma | Lease a Bike with top-5 finish at the Tour Down Under. The former army member the carried on the momentum across the whole spring and, as a reward got called up as reserve for the Tour de France in July. The Dutchman got through the three-week test with A grades and found back his form just in time for last block of races with top-20 finish in Montreal.
In today's Coppa Bernocchi, Lemmen jumped into the early breakaway and when peloton came closing in, the 28-year-old didn't wait for inevitable and went for a 30km solo ride, only to be caught under the flamme rouge by a small group of favourites. Eventually, the Dutchman was able to secure a top-5 result in a sprint of the small group.
"I really believed I could make it. I rode really hard. Maybe I was left alone a bit too early, because thirty kilometres is still quite a distance. Unfortunately, the finish line was a kilometre too far for me today. They worked well together behind me. It’s really unfortunate to get caught like that at the end, but that’s cycling too," Lemmen shares his perspective on today's race.
Sports director Marc Reef is proud of the 28-year-old rider. "Bart really did everything right. We knew in advance that the breakaway could make it to the finish today. Bart turned out to be the strongest in the breakaway and then you have to make the choice to go solo at one point. It’s a shame that he just didn’t make it. That would have been the icing on the cake for a very good first year with Team Visma | Lease a Bike. It didn't lead to a victory today, but that win will definitely come in the future."
"This was one of my best days of the season," Lemmen says. "I'm in great shape. It was a close call and I almost got my first victory. I still have a good feeling and a nice result after today. This Saturday, another great race awaits: Il Lombardia. Afterwards my off-season starts."
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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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🇮🇹 #CoppaBernocchi Our second Italian fall classic is in the books. 🌧️🥶
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