“We got the maximum we could have today” – Matteo Trentin proud as Tudor place two riders on Kuurne podium
Cycling
Tudor Pro Cycling Team left Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne without the winner’s trophy, but with something that may prove just as significant in the context of Opening Weekend: depth.
With Luca Mozzato finishing second and Matteo Trentin third behind Matthew Brennan, Tudor placed two riders on the podium in one of the most attritional editions of Kuurne in recent years.
“I think we got the maximum we could have today,” Trentin said afterwards in quotes to Cycling Pro Net. “Unfortunately, we had to start with five guys because of all the injuries we got yesterday in several crashes. Me and Luca were the two guys who were protected out of the five.”
For a team already reduced in numbers after Omloop, that return felt closer to validation than frustration.
A race managed together
Kuurne never settled into a straightforward sprint script. The pace lifted over the hills, crosswinds split the race inside the final 35 kilometres, and the expected full bunch never truly reformed.
Within that chaos, Tudor simplified the plan. “We spoke when we passed on the finish,” Trentin explained. “He’s really good in the bunch sprint, and I’m also pretty good. So we kind of worked for each other until we hit the last five kilometres, and then everyone took his own trajectory to the line.”
That clarity was visible in the finale. While other teams scrambled to reorganise after splits and punctures, Tudor had two cards to play in the reduced front group.
When the sprint opened, Brennan proved the strongest. Behind him, Mozzato and Trentin delivered second and third. “Second and third. So, pretty cool.”
No sense of something lost
In most scenarios, a team placing two riders on the podium without winning might leave a lingering sense of what could have been.
Trentin did not see it that way. “Matthew won pretty clear,” he said. “Having two guys on the podium is still nice for the team.”
It was also a demonstration of resilience. Starting with only five riders after the injuries on Saturday, Tudor did not retreat into damage limitation. Instead, they positioned consistently, responded to moves and arrived in Kuurne with options.
Trentin himself noted the difference from Omloop the previous day. “Yesterday the legs were good, but I was really badly positioned on the Molenberg,” he said. “When you are on the back foot in these races, and you’re not in position, you lose so much energy. Today I was always in the right position. I could jump in several groups. I still had really good legs in the final, so I’m actually surprised.”
That surprise came with satisfaction rather than regret.
As the Classics block gathers momentum, Tudor leave Opening Weekend with proof that they can compete deep into the decisive moments, even when circumstances reduce their numbers. “From now on, it will be more about racing and going from race to race and recovering in between,” Trentin said.
If Kuurne was any indication, Tudor will not be racing merely to animate the day. They have shown they can control their part of it and finish on the podium while doing so.
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.
claps 3visitors 1
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- What kind of sauce is on that rice? Ketchup?Kbd05-11-2026
- 18 broken bones. 78 crashes, among 30 rider per year is a lot. so for a rider over 15 seasons, they will break their bones 7-8 times and crash 38 times.abstractengineer04-11-2026
- i dont think he is ready ot win against the top 2 or the 2nd rung of evenepoel, del toro , Almeida. In the third week in the TDF he was very very defensive, no attacks. i think he was exhausted. right now he needs time not the brutal Giro or the intense TDF.abstractengineer04-11-2026
- Rota is an excellent rider to get in a break with because he always does his turnchapmanesque04-11-2026
- That 3000 extra that the Tour de France is built up in the flat stages
Rafionain-Glas04-11-2026 - maybe this is something else they can protest in the streets of France.mij04-11-2026
- his Roubaix win was amazing. not to take anything away from him - arguably one of MVDP's wins was at the expense of a WVA flat - but so many things need to line up to get one of these. He had a perfect race with fewer bike issues on an attritional course. And crazy strong as usual. Glad he got this done.mij04-11-2026
- Orts was a super smart signing with the new rules regarding cross and UCI pointsmij04-11-2026
- Podcast sounds great. Two so called experts stating the f*cking obvious.wrsty04-11-2026
- A mindset that reminds me of Tim Declerq. I loved watching that guy just pound away the kilometers, hours at the front, holding an entire breakaway in check on his own. Bjerg seems like a similar guy. Curling, the team sport.RidesHills04-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment