Quick Step’s sprinters score twice on Wednesday

Italian Elia Viviani took his second win of the season on his 29th birthday, while Colombian Fernando Gaviria earned consecutive wins on home soil, giving Quick Step double sprint victories on Wednesday.

Viviani struck on the second stage of the 2.HC Dubai Tour, edging out Stage 1 winner Dylan Groenewegen (The Netherlands/LottoNL-Jumbo). The Dutchman still holds the race lead by two-seconds. Viviani joined Quick Step this season after three years with Sky. The Italian gives Quick Step two solid sprinters, as Marcel Kittel (Germany) moved onto Katusha, and Matteo Trentin (Italy), a versatile rider who won three bunch sprints in last year’s Vuelta a España, joined Mitchelton-Scott.

The birthday boy seemingly called it earlier in the day on Twitter.

Well…I turn 29 today, it’s time to win something? #7thFeb #HappyBDay

? @therussellellis pic.twitter.com/Ag5JWPkPsC

— Elia Viviani (@eliaviviani) February 7, 2018

Viviani took an early season triumph in the Santos Tour Down Under, nabbing the Stage 3 honours. Last year he had nine victories, and so far he has two with Quick Step.

Gaviria is one of the elite sprinters in the world, and his second win in a row at the inaugural Colombia Oro y Paz race underscores his quality. The 23-year-old Colombian leads the race by 11-seconds and holds three jerseys.

It was a Quick-Step Floors fiesta yesterday at the #ColombiaOroyPaz race, where @FndoGaviria took not only the win, but also three distinctive jerseys: https://t.co/5bmGHWr86i#WayToRide
Photo: @GettySport pic.twitter.com/icHngsw6lP

— Deceuninck-QuickStep (@deceuninck_qst) February 7, 2018

Victory came in his very first race of 2018, Stage 1 of the Argentina’s Vuelta a San Juan, although Gaviria crashed out on Stage 4.

After earning four stage wins and the points jersey at last year’s Giro d’Italia, Gaviria is slated for his first Tour de France, where he’ll cross swords with Peter Sagan, Kittel and Caleb Ewan. Viviani will race his fifth Giro.