The Wolfpack are ready for what promises to be another spectacular and action-packed race.
With seven overall wins and 19 stage victories since 2003, it’s safe to say that the Belgium Tour has been a happy hunting ground for our squad, who returns at the start of the race (12-16 June), one of the oldest in the world, motivated to leave their mark on the competition which this year runs its 89th edition.
Remco Evenepoel, Fabio Jakobsen and Davide Martinelli – three of the riders who contributed to the team’s success at Hammer Limburg – will take part in the Belgium Tour, where they’ll be joined by Eros Capecchi, Iljo Keisse, who restarts his season after an injury picked up in Paris-Roubaix has put him on the sidelines since April, Fabio Sabatini and Pieter Serry.
Two pan-flat stages, two hilly and leg-sapping ones – featuring the likes of Ten Bosse, Muur-Kapelmuur, Côte de La Redoute and Côte de la Roche-aux-Faucons – and a short but important individual time trial in Grimbergen will make up the course of the Belgium Tour, which for the first time this century kicks off from Sint-Niklaas.
“The plan is to focus on getting a stage win and also on doing a good general classification. In Fabio we have a fast guy for the sprints and we’ll support him on the two days which should come down to a bunch gallop. For the overall, we can rely on the Giro guys and also Remco, who has shown a strong form in the last couple of races, so we’ll try to go with them for a nice result in the standings at the end of these five days”, said Deceuninck – Quick-Step sports director Klaas Lodewyck, who’ll lead the team from the car together with Rik van Slycke.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele/ Getty Images
Pieter Serry 