Mallorca Challenge: Degenkolb wins Trofeo Palma
Trek-Segafredo rider grabs second victory in Mallorca to continue perfect start to 2018
John Degenkolb (Trek-Segafredo) sprinted to victory in the Trofeo Palma on Sunday to make it two wins from two at the Challenge Mallorca series and a perfect start to the 2018 season.
The German, who had triumphed on Thursday in the Trofeo Campos-Porreres-Felanitx-Ses Salines, was again convincing winner in a bunch sprint in Palma, where Erik Baska (Bora-Hansgrohe) finished second and Coen Vermeltfoort (Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij) third.
Degenkolb chose to sit out Friday and Saturday's hillier outings at the Mallorca Challenge and therefore has two victories from the two races he's started this year. For the Trek-Segafredo team as a whole it has been a successful week and start to the season, with new signing Toms Skujins winning on Saturday to ensure they leave with three of the four 'Trofeos' in the bag.
"I am so happy. I think it's the first time I have won the first two races in a season, that's a first for me," said Degenkolb. "To have this feeling, which I missed so much last year and now I have it already twice… It's so nice to be in the winning line again."
The team certainly oozed confidence as they took responsibility in the peloton to set up Degenkolb's victory. The 160km route, starting and finishing in Palma, was always likely to culminate in a sprint, with just one categorised climb on the menu - the Coll de sa Creu after 120km.
It might have spelled danger for Degenkolb as he punctured on the approach, but he was able to get back in without any issues. The peloton then split shortly after the descent but Degenkolb and Trek were safely in the first group for the finishing lap and, despite Lotto Soudal showing their intentions for Moreno Hofland, they made no mistake.
The day had begun with an early breakaway containing Fabricio Ferrari (Caja Rural), Ibai Salas (Burgos-BH), Enrico Logica (Biesse-Carrera-Gavardo), Txomin Juaristi (Fundación Euskadi), Viktor Filutas (Pannon), and Julio Amores (Spain). They quickly established a led of more than five minutes but it wasn't long before Trek-Segafredo and Lotto Soudal set about reducing the deficit, bringing it down to just 2:30 after 45km of racing.
With the gap just over a minute, the peloton split briefly after 70km but once calm was restored the escapees were allowed to build their advantage once again. The climb, however, spelled curtains. Logica and Filutas were the first to go, and the race was back together over the summit.
Ferrari had claimed both intermediate sprints and Juaristi the KOM, but the day belonged to Degenkolb.
"We showed again we were the strongest team in the race," said the German. "In the leadout, we picked the right moment to come to the front, and I only had to do the last 200 meters, so that was for me super nice and I am so happy. This victory is definitely a team victory - for all of us. We took the responsibility and we got the reward for it."
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Full Results
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | John Degenkolb (Ger) Trek-Segafredo | 3:47:29 |
2 | Erik Baska (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
3 | Coen Vermeltfoort (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | |
4 | Enrique Sanz Unzue (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias | |
5 | Carlos Barbero (Spa) Movistar Team | |
6 | Albert Torres Barcelo (Spa) Inteja Dominican | |
7 | Jordi Warlop (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
8 | José Rojas (Spa) Movistar Team | |
9 | Leonardo Basso (Ita) Team Sky | |
10 | Xavier Canellas (Spa) Spain | |
11 | Jesus Ezquerra Muela (Spa) Burgos BH | |
12 | Kevyn Ista (Bel) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic | |
13 | Romain Le Roux (Fra) Team Fortuneo-Samsic | |
14 | Benjamin Declercq (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
15 | Jon Ander Insausti (Spa) Team Eusadi | |
16 | Gonzalo Serrano Rodriguez (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | |
17 | Eduard Prades Reverter (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias | |
18 | Jasper De Buyst (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
19 | Michal Golas (Pol) Team Sky | |
20 | Hector Saez Benito (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias | |
21 | Jasper Stuyven (Bel) Trek-Segafredo | |
22 | Imanol Erviti (Spa) Movistar Team | |
23 | Garikoitz Bravo Oiarbide (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias | |
24 | Elmar Reinders (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | |
25 | Gatzon Martin (Spa) Team Euskadi | |
26 | Awet Andemeskel (Eri) Israel Cycling Academy | |
27 | Fabricio Ferrari (Urg) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | |
28 | Ibai Salas Zorrozua (Spa) Burgos BH | |
29 | Lukas Pöstlberger (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe | 0:00:04 |
30 | Nicolas Sessler (Bra) Burgos BH | |
31 | Dimitri Peyskens (Bel) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic | |
32 | Igor Merino Kortazar (Spa) Burgos BH | |
33 | Philip Deignan (Irl) Team Sky | |
34 | Jaime Roson (Spa) Movistar Team | |
35 | Pim Ligthart (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | 0:00:10 |
36 | Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe | 0:00:12 |
37 | Gianni Moscon (Ita) Team Sky | 0:00:16 |
38 | Boy van Poppel (Ned) Trek-Segafredo | |
39 | Kiel Reijnen (USA) Trek-Segafredo | |
40 | Markel Irizar (Spa) Trek-Segafredo | |
41 | Moreno Hofland (Ned) Lotto Soudal | |
42 | Rafael Valls Ferri (Spa) Movistar Team | |
43 | Lawrence Naesen (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 0:00:22 |
44 | Michael Schwarzmann (Ger) Bora-Hansgrohe | 0:00:26 |
45 | Thomas Sprengers (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | 0:00:34 |
46 | Brian van Goethem (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | |
47 | Cesare Benedetti (Ita) Bora-Hansgrohe | 0:00:38 |
48 | Jelle Vanendert (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 0:00:40 |
49 | Frederik Frison (Bel) Lotto Soudal | |
50 | Txomin Juaristi (Spa) Team Euskadi | |
51 | Eliot Lietaer (Bel) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic | |
52 | Bauke Mollema (Ned) Trek-Segafredo | 0:00:51 |
53 | Juraj Sagan (Svk) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
54 | Victor Campenaerts (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 0:00:53 |
55 | Raul Colombo (Ita) Biesse Carrera Gavardo | 0:04:59 |
56 | Julien Mortier (Bel) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic | |
57 | Kenny Dehaes (Bel) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic | |
58 | Alberto Amici (Ita) Biesse Carrera Gavardo | |
59 | Enrico Salvador (Ita) Biesse Carrera Gavardo | |
60 | Gregory Rast (Swi) Trek-Segafredo | |
61 | Ian Stannard (GBr) Team Sky | |
62 | Sebastian Mora (Spa) Spain | |
63 | Peio Goikoetxea (Spa) Team Euskadi | |
64 | Dennis van Winden (Ned) Israel Cycling Academy | |
65 | Dylan van Baarle (Ned) Team Sky | |
66 | Julio A Amores (Spa) Spain | |
67 | Ibai Azurmendi (Spa) Team Euskadi | |
68 | Nelson Andres Soto Martinez (Col) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | |
69 | Daniel Lopez Parada (Spa) Burgos BH | |
70 | Kenny Elissonde (Fra) Team Sky | |
71 | Cristian Rodriguez Martin (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | |
72 | Danilo Celano (Ita) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | |
73 | Aitor Gonzalez Prieto (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias | |
74 | Pierre Luc Perichon (Fra) Fortuneo-Oscaro | |
75 | Franck Bonnamour (Fra) Fortuneo-Oscaro | |
76 | Benoit Jarrier (Fra) Fortuneo-Oscaro | |
77 | Bram Welten (Ned) Fortuneo-Oscaro | |
78 | Preben Van Hecke (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
79 | Aaron Verwilst (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
80 | Luca Felix Happke (Ger) Team Sauerland NRW PB SK | 0:06:06 |
81 | Aaron Grosser (Ger) Team Sauerland NRW PB SK | |
82 | Péter Simon (Hun) Pannon Cycling Team | |
83 | Per Chris Munstermann (Ger) Team Suderland NRW PB SK | |
84 | Thomas Deruette (Bel) WB Aqua Protect Veranclassic | |
85 | Adrian Gonzalez Velasco (Spa) Burgos BH | |
86 | Ricardo Garcia (Spa) Team Euskadi | |
87 | Jon Knolle (Ger) Team Sauderland NRW PB SK | |
88 | Nicolo Gozzi (Ita) Biesse Carrera Gavardo | |
89 | Maxime Daniel (Fra) Fortuneo-Oscaro | |
90 | Lorenzo Delcó (Swi) Biesse Carrera Gavardo | |
91 | Aleksejs Saramotins (Lat) Bora-Hansgrohe | |
92 | Jesper Asselman (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | |
93 | Dániel Dina (Hun) Pannon Cycling Team | |
94 | Daniel Turek (Cze) Israel Cycling Academy | |
95 | Sondre Enger (Nor) Israel Cycling Academy | |
96 | Christophe Noppe (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
97 | Emiel Planckaert (Bel) Sport Vlaanderen-Baloise | |
98 | Vicente Garcia (Spa) Spain | |
99 | Miguel A Benito Diaz (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | |
100 | Wouter Wippert (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | 0:07:14 |
101 | Felix Intra (Ger) Team Sauderland NRW PB SK | 0:11:31 |
102 | Botond Hollo (Hun) Pannon Cycling Team | 0:12:16 |
103 | Viktor Filutas (Hun) Pannon Cycling Team | |
104 | Miklos Szabo (Slo) Pannon Cycling Team | |
105 | Antonio Molina Canet (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | 0:13:42 |
106 | Sergio Pardilla Bellon (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | |
107 | Rafael Reis (Por) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | |
108 | Alex Aranburu Deba (Spa) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | 0:13:44 |
109 | Nick van der Lijke (Ned) Roompot-Nederlandse Loterij | 0:14:46 |
110 | Illart Zuazubiskar (Spa) Spain | 0:15:21 |
111 | Gergo Orosz (Hun) Pannon Cycling Team | |
112 | Pablo Torres Muiño (Spa) Burgos BH | 0:16:11 |
113 | Márk Zathureczky (Hun) Pannon Cycling Team | 0:16:40 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Txomin Juarusti (Spa) Team Euskadi | 6 | pts |
2 | Gianni Moscon (Ita) Team Sky | 4 | |
3 | Hector Saez Benito (Spa) Euskadi Basque Country-Murias | 2 | |
4 | Patrick Konrad (Aut) Bora-Hansgrohe | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Fabricio Ferrari (Urg) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | 3 | pts |
2 | Txomin Juarusti (Spa) Team Euskadi | 2 | |
3 | Julio A Amores (Spa) Spain | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Fabricio Ferrari (Urg) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | 3 | pts |
2 | Txomin Juarusti (Spa) Team Euskadi | 2 | |
3 | Julio A Amores (Spa) Spain | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Julio A Amores (Spa) Spain | 3 | pts |
2 | Ibai Salas Zorrozua (Spa) Burgos BH | 2 | |
3 | Fabricio Ferrari (Urg) Caja Rural-Seguros RGA | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result | |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Markel Irizar (Spa) Trek-Segafredo | 3 | pts |
2 | Frederik Frison (Bel) Lotto Soudal | 2 | |
3 | Txomin Juarusti (Spa) Team Euskadi | 1 |
# | Rider Name (Country) Team | Result |
---|---|---|
1 | Movistar Team | 11:22:27 |
2 | Euskadi Basque Country | |
3 | Team Sky | 0:00:04 |
4 | Burgos - BH | |
5 | Roompot - Nederlandse | 0:00:10 |
6 | Trek - Segafredo | 0:00:16 |
7 | Bora - Hansgrohe | |
8 | Sport Vlaanderen - Baloise | 0:00:34 |
9 | Lotto Soudal | 0:00:38 |
10 | Team Euskadi | 0:00:44 |
11 | WB Aqua Protect Veranc | |
12 | Seleccion Nacional | 0:04:59 |
13 | Caja Rural - Seguros RGA | |
14 | Team Fortuneo - Samsic | 0:09:58 |
15 | Israel Cycling Academy | 0:11:05 |
16 | Biesse Carrera Gavardo | 0:14:57 |
17 | Team Sauerland NRW PB | 0:18:18 |
18 | Pannon Cycling Team | 0:24:28 |

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