Sunday brings one of the youngest Belgian one-day races on the calendar.
Named in the honour of Jean-Pierre Monseré, the Belgian who in 1970 defeated Leif Mortensen and Felice Gimondi after more than six hours in the saddle en route to winning the prized rainbow jersey in Leicester, this weekend’s 203.2km-long race takes place again between Hooglede and Roeselare.
The peloton will cover four times a 50km local circuit which can thwart the sprinters’ hopes – as it will throw in their way several cobblestone stretches and small hills – but the fast men could and should still have the upper hand in the end, if their teams can control the hectic final kilometers.
Having won eleven races with four different riders so far, Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl will come to the start Sunday morning with a young team comprising of Stijn Steels, Jannik Steimle, Bert Van Lerberghe, Stan Van Tricht and Ethan Vernon.
“On Sunday we will start with only five guys, as some of our riders are out, but this doesn’t mean we won’t give everything. Stan, Bert and Stijn know the local roads really well, which will help, while Jannik and Ethan give us two cards to play. On paper, it should come down to a bunch sprint, but it will all depend on the teams’ tactic and how they decide to race it”, explained Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl sports director Rik Van Slycke ahead of this tenth edition.
Photo credit: ©Luc Claessen / Getty Images
Bert Van Lerberghe 