Matteo Trentin: From lead-out man to Tour stage winner

Matteo Trentin proved Omega Pharma-Quick Step has many feathers in its cap, not just leading out sprints for Mark Cavendish. In the Tour de France’s stage to Lyon today, the Italian escaped and won the sprint against his rivals.

“Sometimes things start rough. We still haven’t been lucky, we’ve earned these wins by everyone’s commitment,” sport and development manager, Rolf Aldag told Cycling Weekly. “We could’ve just given up. Tony Martin crashed so hard, things didn’t go well every time in the lead-out for Cavendish and losing a half-second in the team time trial, it’s not what you call lucky.”

Omega Pharma counts four wins now: two for Cavendish, one for Tony Martin and one today for Cavendish’s lead-out man, Matteo Trentin.

Trentin escaped in a group of 18 in today’s stage to Lyon. The stage included a series of seven climbs, not suited to Cavendish and open for Trentin. He is normally the second last lead-out man in the Omega Pharma train. He drops off Gert Steegmans, who delivers Cavendish.

The train had its troubles this year. A crash stopped its run in stage one, it was unorganised in Montpellier and beaten two days ago in Tours. Trentin underscored the team’s ability to role with the punches.

In February, he broke his scaffold and had to miss the classics. “He returned to the Giro d’Italia and worked; he worked at the Tour, and he’s been re-paid,” sports director, Davide Bramati told Cycling Weekly.

“He believed in it today. He said that he wanted to try to go in the escape. He went, he won.”

“In all the attacks, I told him to stay calm, that the attacks will be closed down,” Bramati continued. “I told him to ride only in the last 200 meters. It worked.”

“It shows the attitude and motivation,” Aldag added. “We knew we had to be in the group because today was the day for an escape. It’s great, a young rider in his first Tour de France; he comes here and stays so cool, and wins with style.”

We can expect much more out of the 23-year-old, Aldag said.

“He’s too young to be only a lead-out man. Normally he should’ve had a chance to be a classics rider, but he had bad luck, he broke a bone in his hand. He rode the Giro, proved himself to be an important part in the team. With that self confidence, a Tour stage win is possible and everything is possible.”

Trentin told Cycling Weekly earlier this year that he gaining experience in Omega Pharma. In his debut year last year, Omega took him to the classics and gave him what he needed to help Italy at the World Championships.

Cavendish, Bramati and the rest of the team keep putting faith in him. After his podium presentation, they arrived to hug him and wish him the best. It probably will not be the last time Trentin receives such praise, be it for winning or for working.