A year after Laurenz Rex’s success for Wanty-ReUz-Technord in the Dorpenomloop Rucphen, which was the development team’s very first success on a UCI race, the devo team finished on the podium again on Sunday, March 17.
The Dutchman Huub Artz took second place on a completely flat course around the city of Rucphen, in North Brabant. Artz, with an impressive performance on home soil, spent more than XX kilometers at the front in a duo with Halvor Dolven, before being caught by the peloton 28 kilometers from the finish.
Despite all his efforts, Artz remained at the head of the peloton and took part in the bunch sprint, which was won by Johan Dorussen at the end of the 188 kilometer race. This second place is the third podium of the season for Wanty-ReUz-Technord after Zeno Moonen in Brussels-Opwijk and Victor Hannes in GP Vermarc, and the first in 2024 in a UCI race.
Since the start of the season, Huub Artz has regularly part of the WT team Intermarché-Wanty, with which he has already distinguished himself by his attacking temperament. Notably, he took third place in the queen stage of the Tour of Oman at the top of Green Mountain and also helped Laurenz Rex to victory at Le Samyn.
“Unfortunately there was not enough wind today to make it an open race and a hard battle. I saw few opportunities for myself in a bunch sprint and therefore went on the attack to make it a quality and solid training ride with some interesting races ahead. This way I also avoided all nervousness and falls in the peloton. When we were caught with 30km to go, I thought it was over for me. But on the technical course I was able to maintain myself quite well in the top fifteen and thus recover from the heavy effort. Thanks to the races with Intermarché-Wanty, I feel that I have some surplus when things go fast and that even after a tough competition I still have quite fresh legs in the final. That way I could surprise myself in the sprint and fight for the win. This is an achievement I am proud of. I look forward to my next competitions, the Wim Hendriks Trophy, which is known as a echelon race, and my very first major classics among the u23.”
