On March 7th, Team United Shipping took on the Rhodes GP (UCI 1.2). The race route circled the island, presenting challenges through shifting winds and several mid-race crashes. Despite the field splitting into five groups during the crosswinds, the team maintained strong positioning throughout the day to set up a successful bunch finish.
Nikiforos Arvanitou (Niki) on his win:
“In the last kilometer, the team worked well to put me in the right spot for the sprint. I was in a good position, and my plan was to start the sprint at 300 meters. I knew it would be a long sprint with crosswinds and almost a headwind. It was a bit risky, but I have worked a lot on my long sprints, and that made the difference today.
I am so proud of this win; it is a very special feeling to be the first Greek rider to win in Rhodes after 10 years, and all of this in the Greek champion jersey. It is amazing.
Every single rider from the team worked very well today, from the first mountain until the last meters. They were on the front all the time, handling the crosswinds and attacks, and positioning in key parts.
The celebration today will be some rest and spending time with friends.
The plan for next week is to be in the best possible condition and win more. There is a prologue that suits me well, so I am all in for another excellent result.”
Michal Schuran’s assesment:
“The team worked quite well, although we were missing some guys at the front and we made some minor mistakes. In the last 30km, we got it together and followed all the attacks to ensure a bunch sprint, which we managed perfectly. In the last kilometer, the team was already quite exhausted, but Niki was in a perfect position and we could finally celebrate after his perfect sprint.
My winter was flawless and the time here is really great. I have some nice memories of this place from previous seasons. Two weeks before Rhodes I was sick, so my shape is still not perfect, but I feel stronger day by day.
I was the road captain today, and my role was to control the dangerous attacks. I was also the last leadout for Niki, but I was already empty from the last 20km where I had to react to so many moves.
For the next races, the plan is to win on the flat with Niki and then go for a general classification result with Pridal. It seems both guys are in good shape early in the season.”
Photo: Nassos Triantafyllou / https://www.cyclingphotos.gr/
