Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl back in France

After Tour de la Provence, we are competing again in the Hexagon, at two entertaining one-day races.

It’s going to be a busy weekend for the Wolfpack. While in Belgium we’ll officially kick off the Spring Classics, just across the border, World Champion Julian Alaphilippe will make his second outing of the season on French soil, following a strong Tour de la Provence, where for the second straight year he finished on the podium.

The 29-year-old will lead Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl at the Ardèche Classic (168.5km) and Drôme Classic (191.5km), whose up-and-down terrain will lend itself to the puncheurs and attackers. The climbs peppering the route of the two races aren’t in any way gruesome, but a well-timed attack in the final part has all the chances of making it, just like it happened last season, when Andrea Bagioli soloed to his third pro victory at the Drôme Classic after getting away on the last hill of the day and holding off the chasers.

Both Alaphilippe and Bagioli will be in action again there, joined by a strong cast consisting of Mattia Cattaneo, Dries Devenyns, new wolf Mauro Schmid – who placed tenth overall at the Tour of Oman this month – Pieter Serry and Mauri Vansevenant, who is pinning on a number again one week after taking eighth in a very demanding Vuelta a Andalucia.

“Ardèche and Drôme are nice but hard races. We had success at both in the past, and as we start with a strong team, we are motivated to try and get a good result. Julian will show again his beautiful rainbow jersey, but he won’t be the only card we can play this weekend”, said Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl sports director Davide Bramati.

Photo credit: ©Wout Beel