Yves Lampaert, Gianni Moscon and Ilan Van Wilder are among the riders who’ll start their season next week in Spain.
One thing that can easily be said about the five races making up this year’s Challenge Mallorca – Trofeo Calvia, Trofeo Ses Salines-Felanitx, Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana, Trofeo Pollença Port d’Andratx and Trofeo Palma – is that they won’t be kind to the sprinters, who’ll have just one big opportunity, on the last day of the week, to fight for an early win in the season.
In the other four races, the baroudeurs and the climbers will be the ones taking center stage, the relentless up-and-down roads of the island that more than two thousand years ago flourished under the Romans providing the perfect terrain for long-range attacks that have the potential to stick all the way until the finish, especially if the weather is similar to that of last year, when the rain and cold temperatures played an important role in the way things unfolded.
Soudal Quick-Step will count on a total of ten riders for the Spanish races: Mattia Cattaneo, Yves Lampaert, Gianni Moscon, Ilan Van Wilder, Mauri Vansevenant, Louis Vervaeke, neo-pros Luke Lamperti, Paul Magnier and Pepijn Reinderink, and Leander Van Hautegem, the 20-year-old Belgian who rides for the Devo team, and who last season impressed in a number of one-day races.
“We are looking forward to our first European outing of the season. Mallorca will be a good start for the guys, many of whom are new in the team. Many of next week’s races will be hard, but most of the guys know the routes and we’ll try to be up there and fight for a good result. In the one, maybe two races that could end up in a bunch sprint, we will be curious to see what Luke and Paul can do”, said sports director Tom Steels.
Photo credit: ©Wout Beel
