"Today I made up for a lot" - Luca Mozzato turns 2024 around with stupendous triumph at Bredene Koksijde Classic

Luza Mozzato is not a pure sprinter but today the Italian proved to be quite an underrated combination of sprinter and classics rider. The Arkéa - B&B Hotels found himself in the perfect circumstances to win the Bredene Koksijde Classic against strong competition.

"I'm really happy with that. My season hasn't been great so far, but today I made up for a lot," Mozzato said in a post-race interview. "Certainly a race like this is very special for me, because it is a great Belgian classic. So I'm happy!" Mozzato last year won Binche - Chimay - Binche last year and has brought another meaningful triumph today.

Mozzato was part of the peloton that passed through the cobbled climbs and echelons on the day, and then played his cards right. The Italian sprinter did not move when several attackers put the pressure on the peloton, and then in the final sprint was in the wheel of Dylan Groenewegen. A perfectly timed move then saw him take to the front and take a tight victory ahead of the Dutchman and Gerben Thijssen. A strong triumph, perhaps beating the best competition he's ever done.

“That was actually the biggest problem. Everyone knew there would be echelons," he said of the tough conditions on the day. "That made it very nervous. But with the team we raced from the front as much as possible. I knew there were more sprinters, but also more riders who could reach high speeds. Fortunately, I was able to save some energy in the final, so I had a good sprint."