Our team will start with eight riders in the 47th edition of his race.
After concluding last month in Belgium, we'll kick-off the new one in the same country, but in the Wallon region this time, where on Wednesday is scheduled to take place Le Samyn. The 202.6 km-long event starts in Quaregnon and is by no means flat, with several small climbs taking the sting out of the legs. In the second part of the race, the course comes up with a 24.6 km-long circuit which will be done four times and includes several cobbles sections which will spice up the action. On top of all, the finishing straight in Dour is in a slight uphill, which is going to favour the punchy sprinters.
Le Samyn sees Etixx – Quick-Step line up a team that's going to mix youth and experience. Runner-up at the previous edition, Gianni Meersman returns to his home country race determined to be again among the protagonists. The 30-year-old Belgian will be joined, among others, by 2014 Paris-Roubaix champion Niki Terpstra and Lukasz Wisniowski, who comes here after a strong ride – which netted him a 5th place – in last Sunday's Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.
Etixx – Quick-Step for Le Samyn (2 March): Julian Alaphilippe, Rodrigo Contreras, Laurens De Plus, Davide Martinelli, Gianni Meersman, Niki Terpstra, Guillaume Van Keirsbulck, Lukasz Wisniowski.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele
