Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team has announced the selection that will participate in the Vattenfall Cyclassics, a 246km race in its 18th year. There are 18 teams participating in this flat race. What makes this race in and around Hamburg unique is that there are 22,000 amateur cyclists on course before the professionals, and there will be an estimated 800,000 spectators throughout the course.
"The Vattenfall Cyclassics in Hamburg is a race where we had prior success," Sport Director Wilfried Peeters said. "We have almost always had a rider in the Top 5 of this race. We would like the same kind of results this year. Traditionally Vattenfall Cyclassics ends with a sprint. We will have Alessandro Petacchi for this kind of final, as he is recovered from a crash during Eneco Tour. Today he trained without any major problems. Along with Alessandro we can count on another fast man, Nikolas Maes. But we will have also a few options in case a sprint does not happen due to attacks. For such a scenario we have guys like Niki Terpstra or Michal Golas. They can always play a role in a breakaway. We have a strong group around them that can support our tactics in any case."