Corbin Strong made the podium in Gran Piemonte this Thursday after an impressive team performance by the IPT riders in the Italian one-day race.
“I’m a little gutted to only get second, but I’m also really happy with the way we raced as a team today,” Strong said after the finish line. “The guys worked so hard to set me up for the sprint.”
After a relatively quiet start, the race really opened up on the main climb of the day with 60 km to go. Schultz was constantly attentive near the front, and when a dangerous group broke away, the 30-year-old Aussie made sure to get in the mix and represent the team at the front.
Meanwhile, Strong made a huge effort on the climb to stay with the main group, always able to count on impeccable 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,” he explained.
“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.”
However, despite the strong work by IPT in the final, the leading rider, Neilson Powless (EF Education – EasyPost), managed to hold on to his lead and take the win by just seven seconds, while Strong claimed his 12th podium spot of the year.
