• Corbin Strong finished second in Gran Piemonte after a strong performance by IPT riders.
  • Despite excellent teamwork, Neilson Powless held his lead to win by seven seconds.
  • This marks Strong’s 12th podium finish of the year in a one-day race.

Corbin Strong earned second place in the Gran Piemonte this Thursday, following an outstanding team effort from the Israel-Premier Tech (IPT) squad. After the race, Strong reflected on the day’s events, saying, “I’m a little gutted to only get second, but I’m also really happy with the way we raced as a team today. The guys worked so hard to set me up for the sprint.”

The Italian one-day race started calmly, but everything changed during the main climb with 60 km remaining. IPT’s Nick Schultz ensured he was at the front of the action when a dangerous group broke away, representing the team well in the breakaway.

Strong, meanwhile, stayed with the leading bunch on the climb, benefiting from solid support from his teammates. “Over the top of the climb, I was just about hanging on to the back of the bunch, which is normally perfect for me when I’m on a good day, as the other sprinters will have been dropped,” Strong explained.

After the lead group, which included Schultz, was reeled back in, Strong’s teammates continued to give their all in the final kilometres. “After we caught the group with Nick, my teammates worked so hard to set me up for the sprint, and we almost managed to bring it back. Marco [Frigo], Nick [Schultz], and Hugo [Houle] were so strong out there in the final,” Strong added.

Despite IPT’s efforts, Neilson Powless (EF Education – EasyPost) held onto his lead, winning by a slim margin of seven seconds. Strong’s second place in Gran Piemonte marks his 12th podium finish this year.

Share this article
The link has been copied!