OPQS has announced the selection that will participate in Tour de l'Eurométropole, a 688.3km, four-stage race from October 2nd until October 5th. All four stages are less than 200 kilometers, with none considered to be flat. Stage 2, 171km in total distance, is the less undulating of the stages, while the final 155km stage ends in a circuit.
"It's one of the last races of the season but the team is very motivated," Sport Director Rik Van Slycke said. "Most of the race is in West Flanders where we have our service course and it's on roads we know really well, particularly from the Classics. The first stage will immediately be a challenge, with quite a few climbs in the parcours and a slight uphill finish. The second stage we will have to face a few climbs of Gent-Wevelgem, for example the Kemmelberg and Monteberg. The third stage will be near the sea, so it will be dangerous for echelons as wind can be a factor. Bad weather can really change the conditions of the race. The fourth and last stage is a difficult circuit where the general classification can be made. We have a competitive team ready for this race. Our young guys like Guillaume Van Keirsbulck and Julien Vermote, and Andrew Fenn will be motivated to do well mixed in with expert riders like Niki Terpstra, Stijn Vandenbergh, Zdenek Stybar, Martin Velits, and Thomas De Gendt."