Lobato misses out in Handzame Classic

Juan José Lobato failed in his attempt to open his and Euskaltel's victory account in today's Handzame Classic in Belgium.

The young sprinter from Andalucía was the orange team's best chance of success in a race anticipated to come down to a bunch gallop, but could do nothing to hinder Kenny Dahaes storming to the win in the Belgian 1.1-ranked race.

After the mandatory doomed break had been reeled in, Galdeaon's men tried to set it up for the 24-year-old powerhouse. The chaotic nature of the run-in put paid to those ambitions, though, as Lobato never got in the required position to be able to mix it up. He eventually came in a distant 19th, nine placed better off than team-mate Serebryakov.

Pablo Urtasun had to give in to illness, abandoning in the latter stages of the race, according to the team's website.

Results (full results here):

• (1, Kenny Dahaes (Lotto-Belisol), 4:49:12)
• 19, Juan José Lobato, s.t.
• 28, Alexandre Serebryakov, s.t.
• 63, Peio Bilbao, s.t.
• 83, Jon Aberasturi, s.t.
• 95, Tarik Chaoufi, s.t.
• 97, Steffen Radochla, s.t.
• 130, Adrián Sáez, 7:40

Photo: Euskaltel Euskadi