Cyclist Nickolas Zukowsky (Rally) will be able to start his vacation in good health. Thursday, at the Gran Piemonte event disputed between Rocca Canavese and Borgosesia (Italy), the Quebecer was preparing the sprint of his teammate Arvid de Kleijn when he narrowly avoided disaster.
The cyclist from Sainte-Lucie-des-Laurentides was the penultimate rider in his team’s train, side by side with that of the Jumbo-Visma, when the incident occurred.
“We were well placed, everything was going relatively well until the red flame (Editor’s note: the mark of the last kilometer) where there was a narrowing at a somewhat dangerous roundabout. A rider from the Gazprom team arrived just on my left at the last moment and there was no room. I thought we were going to pick up the (sign) post. It’s a miracle we didn’t fall. »
Arvid de Kleijn had to climb back to the lead alone and finished eighth, at the same time as the winner, Briton Matthew Walls (BORA – hansgrohe).
“To be honest, it’s a little disappointing, we really wanted to get a big result, because we knew we were capable,” admitted Zukowsky, 50th of the day (+22 seconds).
The other Quebecer present, James Piccoli (Israel Start-Up Nation), finished this 168-kilometre course in 91st place (+31 seconds).
Despite the turn of events, Zukowsky finds that his team was once again in the game against World Tour-level rosters.
“It’s motivating to see that we’re here and it’s motivating for next season. »
It’s now vacation time for the 23-year-old cyclist and contracting COVID-19 at the start of the season is just a bad memory for him.
“I had the opportunity to do several superb races in many countries and to take part in the team’s victories. The team made a name for itself and we gained respect in the peloton. It was really fun to take part in this journey,” added the man who had the opportunity to experience his first World Championships in the elite category with his teammate Pier-André Côté.
Zukowsky has also confirmed that he and Côté will be teammates again in the same professional formation next year, while remaining vague on the name of this one.
