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Manawatū’s Robert Stannard, left, won the Tour de Wallonie in Belgium this week. (File photo).
Manawatū cyclist Robert Stannard has taken the biggest win of his career after taking the honors at the Tour de Wallonie in Belgium.
Stannard, riding for his new Belgian team Alpecin-Deceuninck, was in consistent form throughout the five-stage tour, taking his first win as a professional.
Stannard, 23, finished second in the final leg (NZ time) on Thursday morning behind winner Jan Bakelants, which was enough to take the title after finishing third, fourth and second in other stages.
He won the bunch sprint when they tried to get Bakelants in at the end.
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Overall it was tight, as Stannard had a 10-second lead over Loïc Vliegen, with Mattias Jensen two seconds back.
“I came here with the goal of winning, but I never thought it would end like this,” Stannard told the Tour de Wallonie website.
“I have never won a stage race, not even as a youngster. I’ve worked the last five days to get there.”
He said that the team worked hard on the last day and that he was happy that everything went well without incident.
“It was very stressful, we had to manage the risks in the cobblestone sections. I don’t think I’ve ever competed in such a stressful race in my entire career.
“Several riders threatened me and you had to be careful from start to finish. I hope this win will be a turning point in my career. My next goal will be the Vuelta, where I would like to win a stage”.
It will be his third time driving the Vuelta a Espana in Spain in August and after this win he will enter the event in good shape.
Stannard, who is based in Monaco, also has a chance of being selected for the World Road Championships later this year.