This Sunday, September 15th, Intermarché-Wanty concluded their exceptional European Championships week with a fourth medal, thanks to Madis Mihkels in the Elite Men’s road race.
The 21-year-old Estonian rider was one of five Intermarché-Wanty athletes at the start of the race, alongside Hugo Page, Adrien Petit, Laurenz Rex, and Mike Teunissen. On the explosive 220-kilometer course between Heusden-Zolder and Hasselt, the WorldTeam riders were constantly at the front, participating in numerous attacks, with Page, Teunissen, and Rex leading the charge.
These attacks significantly thinned out the peloton but did not prevent a mass sprint. It was in this sprint that the young Mihkels secured third place. This is his fourth medal for the team at these championships, following the gold medals won by Huub Artz (U23) and Felix Ørn-Kristoff (Juniors) in the other road races, and the bronze won by Kristoff in the mixed relay.
Madis Mihkels: “This medal is the biggest result of my career so far. It’s the second time I’ve been on the podium of a major international championship after the 2021 Junior World Championships, where I also finished third. Here, the level was the highest it could be, and I survived with the strongest sprinters. I was accompanied to the finish by my compatriot Karl Patrick Lauk, and we decided to take the Dutch train of Olav Kooij on the right. This choice gave me perfect shelter from the wind to emerge from the second line and reach the podium. I even had the feeling of coming back on Merlier and Kooij at the end. I’m proud of this medal for Estonia; with our resources, we have competed with the best nations. I would like to thank Intermarché-Wanty, who built an ideal program for me to be in the best possible shape for these European Championships.”
