It was an exceptional day for the UAE Team Emirates in Montreal, where they celebrated their 85th victory of the year, equaling the record set by Team Columbia HTC in 2009. To top it off, it was a double victory. Tadej and Brandon McNulty left the remaining competitors far behind in the final of the 209.1 kilometer race with 4,573 meters of elevation gain, and then agreed that the American would win.
»In the end, Tadej decided to let me win, for which I am very grateful. It’s something special to celebrate a double victory with a teammate, and even more special when it’s with a world champion and a guy who is clearly the best in the world. Our crossing of the finish line is one of the most momorable moments of my career,« McNulty thanked Tadej after his 19th career victory.
»The whole team was very strong today. We quickly decimated the peloton by setting an extremely sharp pace. I told Brandon to attack if he wanted to. He did, and I joined him at the top of the climb. We continued together, and after I was in the lead, he bridged to me again. It was clear who would win,« Tadej said at the finish.
»This season is extremely successful for the team, many guys are getting opportunities and many are winning. They are seizing opportunities and showing how hard they work. Almost everyone on the team has a victory, everyone is working extremely hard. We are extremely proud of the number of victories we have achieved,« added Tadej.
With his performance in Montreal, he confirmed that he is well-prepared ahead of the peak of the last part of the season, the World Championship in Rwanda, where he will compete in the time trial on September 21st and in the road race on the 28th.