Philippe Gilbert and Fabio Jakobsen headline our squad for Wednesday’s one-day race.
Created in 1945, Halle Ingooigem will take place this year over a 200.9km-long parcours kilometers featuring several short and testing hills where the teams hoping to prevent the race from coming down again to a mass sprint will more than likely put the hammer down before the finish in Ingooigem, the small town located in the municipality of Anzegem.
The only team to have won Halle Ingooigem three consecutive times since the turn of the century, Deceuninck – Quick-Step will field a strong seven-man team for Wednesday’s race, consisting of Tim Declercq, Paris-Roubaix champion Philippe Gilbert, Alvaro Hodeg, Mikkel Honoré – who’s back in action for the first time since completing his first Grand Tour, the Giro d’Italia – Fabio Jakobsen, Iljo Keisse and Davide Martinelli.
“We expect a hard race, not only because of the course, which is far from being an easy one, but also due to the hot temperatures that could end up impacting on the outcome. After the first 120 kilometers, we’ll enter on a circuit featuring the Tiegemberg and some pavé, and the real race should start there. For many riders, this is the last appointment before the Nationals and they are motivated to get a good result. We have several cards which we can play – Alvaro, Fabio, and even Philippe – and a strong support crew, with the likes of Tim, Iljo, Davide and Mikkel ready to control things and bring their teammates into a good position for the final. That makes us confident for Wednesday”, sports director Rik van Slycke explained.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele/ Getty Images