Julian Alaphilippe and Remco Evenepoel will be in action for the Wolfpack this Wednesday.
Leuven, the host of last year’s World Championships, will welcome the peloton for the start of the 62nd Brabantse Pijl, whose 204.8km course consists of an interminable succession of hills, some featuring double-digit gradients. The first of these – Chaussée d’Alsemberg – comes more than 60 kilometers into the race, while the last, S-Bocht Overijse (1300m, 5.7%), will be crested just 200 meters before the line – a final opportunity for the puncheurs to attack and go for a solo victory.
Julian Alaphilippe, who back in 2020 took the win here just days after becoming World Champion for the first time in his career, will race Brabantse Pijl for the sixth time only four days after he completed a successful Itzulia Basque Country, where he scored a stage victory and took two additional podiums. Another Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl rider who made the headlines in Spain, finishing fourth overall and winning the youth classification, Remco Evenepoel will also be part of the team for Wednesday’s race, together with Andrea Bagioli, Davide Ballerini, French Champion Rémi Cavagna, Dries Devenyns and Mauri Vansevenant.
“We go into the race with a lot of confidence after a solid week in the Basque Country, where many of our Brabantse Pijl guys were present and rode strongly. Both the morale and form are good. In Julian and Remco we have two leaders, riders capable of featuring in the business end of the race, while Andrea – who we have to see how he recovers after his Amstel crash – Davide, Rémi, Dries and Mauri will bring a lot of support and can help us get really far in the race”, said sports director Geert Van Bondt.
Photo credit: ©Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno / Getty Images
Julian Alaphilippe 
Remco Evenepoel 
