The second day of the Road European Championships in Limburg, Belgium, today saw the Mixed Team Relay races in the Juniors and Elites categories.
The races, featuring the Mixed Relay formula in which each country fields three women and three men at the start, took place in the heart of Flanders, starting in Heusden-Zolder and finishing in Hasselt. The Netherlands dominated in the Juniors category.
Michiel Mouris, Joeri Schaper, Gijs Schoonvelde, Jente Koops, Roos Müller and Sara Sonnemans won at an average speed of over 48 kilometres per hour. At the end of the two fractions (one for the women's trio and one for the men's trio), they were 12’ ahead of Germany (Paul Fietzke, Ian Kings, Paul Felix-Petry, Messane Bräutigam, Magdalena Leis and Amalie Joelle Messmer), who also finished second last year, and Norway (Felix Ørn-Kristoff, Andreas Flaatten, Marius Innhaug Dahl, Mia Gjertsen, Matilde Skjelde, Kamilla Aasebø) by 22 seconds.
The Elite race was particularly hotly contested and saw Italy triumph at the end of the 52.3 kilometres.
The Italian Team, with Edoardo Affini, Mattia Cattaneo, Mirco Maestri, Gaia Masetti Vittoria Guazzini and Elena Cecchini, won with a total time of 1h01’43” (av. 50,840 km/h). Silver for Germany (Nils Politt, Jannik Steimle, Max Walscheid, Lisa Klein, Mieke Kröger and Franziska Koch) at 17‘’, third place at 1’33”‘’ for Belgium (Edward Theuns, Victor Vercouille, Noah Vandenbranden, Alana Castrique, Marion Norbert-Riberolle and Jesse Vandenbulcke).
The Road European Championships continue tomorrow, Friday 13 September, with the first Under 23 Road races: Women (101.4 km, start at 9.00) and Men (162 km, start at 13.30), both starting in Heusden-Zolder and finishing in Hasselt.
