GP Kranj

Team Novo Nordisk came so close to back to back victories at GP Kranj in Slovenia today with Filippo Ridolfo leading from the front all day and narrowly missing out on win by half a bike length.

After Andrea Peron’s stunning first career win here at Kranj last year, the world’s first all diabetes team were the one to watch at Slovenia’s premier one day event and sure enough Ridolfo, Matyas Kopecky, Peter Kusztor and Peron were all active at the front from the outset.

Head sports director Massimo Podenzana:

“I’m very happy for Filippo, he’s made a big step forward this year in his second season as a professional and for all his hard work he deserved the win today and came within half a bike length of taking it.”

“The team worked well as a whole today and we had a plan to have the guys active at the front to hedge our bets and see if we could make it aggressive. We had Andrea and Matyas ready for a sprint in the end, but it was Filippo’s move that stayed away.

“Chapeau to Team Zalf, they played their cards smartly at the finish. Filippo gave everything and second place is an excellent result, but today also gave our young guys a good lesson that if even if you have the legs to win sometimes it doesn’t happen.”

Filippo Ridolfo:

“I have mixed emotions right now, I felt so good throughout the race and I was driving the move along repeatedly, so to come so close to the win is disappointing, but I’m also very happy with second place. It’s a great result and I’m sure it will sink in tomorrow.”

“We were so strong as a team today, the way we started it was almost like we knew we were going to get a result. On the final lap I was up against two riders form the same team, and although there were two of us leading Zamperini had a teammate five seconds back so he wasn’t pulling the last 3km.

“I maybe went a little bit early on the ramp up to the finish, but I think that’s my only error and at the end of the day a win and a second place at the same race in two years is great for us.”

Photo Credits: @sportida