Tim Wellens wins second Challenge Mallorca race

Tim Wellens has won the Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana, part of the Challenge Mallorca, for the second year in a row.

Wellens was part of a five-rider break that also included Alessandro Valverde (Movistar), Gregor Mühlberger (Bora-hansgrohe) and Gianluca Brambilla (Trek-Segafredo).

Early on Sondre Holst Enger (Israel Cycling Academy) went clear and built a gap of over four minutes, but he was reeled in on the Sa Batalla climb. Valverde attacked and went clear with Wellens, Moscon, Brambilla and Mühlberger. Valverde was in what was his second race since his big crash in last year’s Tour de France and attacked repeatedly, including inside the final ten kilometres.

However Wellens had too much left in the tank and was able to overhaul him, then prevail ahead of Moscon. “Our team started up the battle. We were all strong and made sure it was a hard day in the saddle,” he said afterwards. “Valverde attacked uphill when Jasper De Buyst and Rémy Mertz were setting the pace. I responded to his attack and got in a front group of five. We were going really hard the first ten minutes and soon we had a few minutes advantage. It was clear that one of us would win the race.

“Moscon and I put pressure on Valverde during the descent of Puig Major. He lost contact and had to make an effort to join us again. Valverde, who had better legs uphill, tried to drop us on the last climb, but didn’t succeed in his attempt. In the descent Moscon and I created a gap again. A sprint between the two of us would determine the winner. We knew you had to be first to enter the last corner at 200 metres from the finish. It was a fair sprint, man against man.”

Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana 2018 results: