Two weeks in and UAE has already won four times: "I didn’t have the best legs today"

The 20-year-old Swiss rider had already stated during the winter that he wanted to build on his debut season in the WorldTour — and that’s exactly what he did. After Morgado’s victory and his own fifth place in the Clàssica Comunitat Valenciana 1969, Christen struck in the Trofeo Calvià. In the final kilometer, he sprinted away from a group of three and crossed the finish line solo.

"I’m super happy. I mean, I have a super condition," the UAE prodigy boasted afterward on Eurosport. "The first two races were already good, with António (Morgado, ed.) taking a win, and now me. Today, Tudor (the team of his former teammate Marc Hirschi, ed.) set a super high pace all day, and me especially, I didn’t have the best legs today. I tried to save as much energy as possible until the end. And then I made one, two good moves."

That strategy worked. While others made up to ten attempts, Christen executed only a few attacks, but with precision. And according to him, this is just the beginning — because when he’s in top form, he’s a real threat. "I had a super good winter, training in Gran Canaria, and I could take another step forward. To now take the win already is amazing, and I'm super happy."

Morgado also found his way onto the podium again, finishing third in the Trofeo Calvià. The 21-year-old Portuguese rider was satisfied with the result. "It was a tough race. From the start, the pace never dropped. I felt good and was up front with Jan. Hirschi was the biggest name here, so we tried to attack."

It was a solid day for UAE, especially after Hirschi had outpaced his former teammates last Sunday in Valencia. "I feel super good, also in training. I’ve made progress, and I just want to keep racing," said Morgado, who will also take on the remaining four races of the Challenge Mallorca: Trofeo Ses Salines, Trofeo Serra Tramuntana, Trofeo Andratx, and Trofeo Palma, running from Wednesday to Saturday.