Luke Lamperti sprints to first pro win at Tour of Taiwan
This article originally appeared on Velo News
Luke Lamperti, the promising American speedster on Trinity Racing, scored his first UCI-ranked professional road win overnight in stage 3 at the Tour of Taiwan.
The 19-year-old roared to victory in a reduced bunch sprint in the lumpy stage that included a first-category climb. Lamperti out-kicked two European veterans by a bike length at the line to win in the 2.1-UCI-ranked race at Taiwan.
“It’s really nice to come here to get a stage win with the team,” Lamperti told VeloNews. “It’s my first time to the race and my first time in the Asian scene, and it’s super nice to get the win.”
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The victory is the first for Lamperti this season in elite road racing, who mixes his racing calendar with pro-level races and U23 events across Europe and the United States.
Lamperti defended the national criterium title and hit fifth in the men’s road race at the U.S. national road championships in June.
With two more stages left in Taiwan, Lamperti will see more chances in the sprints. The team will also work for Sam Culverwell, poised in second on GC at 35 seconds back, to chase the overall.
“As far as GC, we’ll give it a go with Sam,” said Lamperti, who climbed to fourth overall at 1:45 back. “He’s quite close and we’ll see what happens in the next few days.”
In his second full season with Trinity Racing, Lamperti hit two top-10s at the Tour de l’Avenir and one top-5 at the Tour of Britain last month.
At 55th, Lamperti was hoping for more in the U23 race at the UCI Road World Championships, but the breakout victory in Taiwan bodes well for the future.
“Going into the end of the season, it’s always nice to win the year on a good note,” Lamperti said. “It’s good to end here with a win, and it’s motivation for the winter.”
For 2023, Lamperti will stay with the Trinity Racing program to compete one more full season at the U23 ranks before what he hopes will be a leap to the WorldTour in 2024.
Victory in Taiwan will certainly put his name on the radar for the top talent scouts.
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