Sandy Dujardinโฃ Claimsโ Victory at โRain-Soaked Maryland Cycling Classic
Baltimore, MD – โSeptember 3, 2023 – In a race dramatically reshaped by a mid-race downpour, Sandy Dujardin (TotalEnergies) surged to a thrilling sprint victory at โคthe Maryland Cycling Classic presentedโข by BGE today. After a chaotic final lap marked by attrition andโ aggressive moves, Dujardin outkicked a select group of survivors to secureโ the biggest โคwin of his career.
Theโค 120.8-mile race, featuring sixโ laps โฃof a challenging Baltimore city centre circuit, began under hot and humid conditions. An early breakaway formed on the second โlap, with Oscar Sevilla (Team Medellin) and Fabian Weiss (Tudorโค Pro Cycling) establishing a lead that stretched to over five minutes. A determined chase saw aโค group of elevenโค riders, including pre-race favorites Brandon McNulty and Neilsonโข Powless (EF education-EasyPost), bridge across to โขthe leaders.
Though, the race’sโ defining moment arrived โon the third lap when a torrential downpour โฃdescended, instantly transforming the course into a slippery challenge. A small group containing riders known for their prowess in โคadverse conditions – riley Sheehan (Israel Premier Tech), Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X),โ and Marijnโ vanโข den Berg (EF Education-EasyPost) – seized the opportunity to move to the front. โคThe conditions also impacted severalโข key contenders, with Michael matthews (Jayco-Alula) and Quinn Simmonsโ (Lidl-trek) โfinding themselves distanced, and Lidl-Trek โfurther hampered by โthe early exit of Mattias skjelmose.
Asโฃ the rain subsided, seventeen riders remained atโ the front, battling both the course and mechanical issues. Neilson Powless suffered a flat tire shortly โคafter a cobbled section on theโค final lap, forcing him to runโค with his bike to reach his team car for a replacement.
The decisive moves began โคhalfway through the final lap,with McNulty driving a four-rider โattack alongsideโ Dujardin,Guillaume Bovin (Israel Premier Tech),and Marius Mayrhofer โ(Tudor Pro โCycling).McNulty’s sustained โeffort whittled the group down to just himself and Dujardin withโค 20km โฃremaining.A relentless chase led byโฃ Jonas Abrahamsen (Uno-X) and Mauro Schmid (Jayco Alula) quickly brought the duo back into contention, andโ soon after, Larry Warbasse,โ Mayrhofer, โขand Johannessen rejoined, creating a leadโ group of sevenโ with 5km to go.
Despite the presence of strong finishers like Abrahamsen andโข Mayrhofer, who also had team support, Dujardin expertly conserved โฃenergy on McNulty’s wheel. In a perfectlyโ timedโ move, he launched a powerful sprint to claim the victory, leaving his rivals behind and etching his name into the โMaryland Cycling Classic’s history books.