Luke Lamperti wipes zero for EF Education-EasyPost: "Season start was tough"

In the opening stage of Paris-Nice, Luke Lamperti sprinted to his first victory for EF Education-EasyPost today. Marijn van den Berg, as the last man in the lead-out, played a crucial role in that win. "For me, it was a long sprint," the Dutchman gasped after the race for the Eurosport camera.

"I’m really happy he could finish it off," said Van den Berg. That joy was also due to the fact that EF Education-EasyPost finally got off the dreaded zero thanks to Lamperti’s victory. Until now, the American team hadn’t won in 2026, but the streak is now broken. "Finally."

The finale was very hectic, according to Van den Berg. "We just tried to stick together because in these situations you can easily crash. I think we did very well. We positioned ourselves well before the last corner. I went a bit too early myself, but luckily I had the legs to keep sprinting."

Sprinting with Lamperti wasn’t EF Education-EasyPost’s only option; the American team had prepared for multiple scenarios before the start. "That’s why we had Max Walker in the break and Alex Baudin jumped away on the climb."

Lamperti: "We had a tough start to the season"
Lamperti himself called it "super special" in the post-race flash interview to win at WorldTour level for the first time. "It’s no secret the team struggled. We had a tough start to the season. Being able to win here now is amazing. It’s also my first win for the team. It’s great to start like this."

The 23-year-old rider joined from Soudal Quick-Step this past winter. "This is the biggest win of my career. It’s very important for a sprinter to build momentum. So this is also good for the rest of the season."

Praise for Van den Berg
Lamperti also analyzed the sprint. "Marijn was the last man. We started quite early. He went from far out, but luckily he was super strong. He did maybe three hundred meters on his own, so I only had to cover a few meters myself."