Tibor Del Grosso after win: "This means a lot, I hoped to win the first block"

Tibor Del Grosso added a fine race to his palmarès on Saturday with the NXT Classic. For the young Dutch rider from Alpecin-Premier Tech, it was his second professional win, which naturally makes him happy, he told the camera of WielerFlits afterwards. "This definitely means a lot. I was hoping to win in the first part of this season already, so I’m glad I can tick that off."

Del Grosso broke away with Schmid already 27 kilometers from the finish on Saturday, something that raised eyebrows during the race. "Yes, I was surprised that the two of us got away there. It must have been a tough race if everyone was riding on the limit. I believe Mauro was surprised as well."

"It made things easier that we rode to the finish together. The finale was really tough and we mostly rode against the wind. On the Moerslag climb, I was really at my limit, and in the sprint there wasn’t much left in the last 100 meters, but apparently I pushed hard enough to cross the line first."

More prestigious win thanks to Schmid’s presence
For Del Grosso, the victory in the NXT Classic is more than welcome. The 22-year-old intentionally chose a number of smaller races when planning his program, hoping to score wins. "I’m really glad I can tick this one off now. Mauro is a world-class rider in races like these, so that makes this win more prestigious. In the Amstel Gold Race, he is also among the top riders at the front."

The Dutchman now faces a block including the Tour of Limburg, the Brabantse Pijl, and then the Amstel Gold Race. What can we expect from him there? "I must say that today was already very tough, so it will get even harder. With all the really good climbers at those races, it’s going to be a different story," he concludes.