Danny van Poppel has sprinted to the second place in the last stage in the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana. The rider from Team LottoNL-Jumbo came up short on the finish. Primoz Roglic ended sixth in the general classification.

It was a hard day, according to Van Poppel. “It rained and the pace was high all day. Because six strong riders managed to get away, the team had to chase them. Luckily, I survived the last climb, so I could go for the win.”

The last few hundred metres were messy. ”Oliver Naesen crashed in a sharp corner just before the finish. It scared me, so I didn’t take the corner well. Jurgen Roelandts did, so immediately I was a few metres behind him. In the end, I came up short. That sucks.” 

Sports Director Grischa Niermann had seen a strong team the last few days. “The race was good for us in general”, he said about the five-day stage race. “We wanted to win a second stage after Danny’s win on Wednesday. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. But Primoz showed a good form and Neilson is also in good shape.” 

According to Niermann, the sprint went well. “We can go forward with this. If the guys keep riding like this, Danny will win more races this year.”

Van Poppel was also happy with the good cooperation in his debut race for Team LottoNL-Jumbo. “It goes well, but we've got to get to know each other better of course. Besides that, I like it that Primoz also helps and gives it all he’s got. It gives me confidence.”