Defending champion Ilan Van Wilder is back at the start of the Italian one-day race.
Last season, Ilan Van Wilder became the first Belgian rider since Eddy Merckx, in 1968, to win Tre Valli Varesine. It was a spectacular victory for our rider, who powered away from a select group with ten kilometers to go, holding off the chasers en route to his maiden win in a one-day race.
The 24-year-old from Jette will return at the start line of the 103rd edition, which takes place this Tuesday on a 200.3km course between Busto Arsizio and Varese – the host of the 2008 World Championships – featuring more than twenty climbs, the most important of which will be Salita dei Ronchi (1.9km, 5.3%), where the race is set to conclude. Soudal Quick-Step’s squad for our penultimate race of the season on European soil will also comprise Mattia Cattaneo, Remco Evenepoel, Jan Hirt, William Junior Lecerf, Fausto Masnada and Pieter Serry.
“Tre Valli Varesine is one of the hardest races of the month, up and down the entire time and featuring plenty of ascents that should whittle down the peloton with each kilometer that passes. We go there with a strong morale and a motivated team which has more than one card to play and we hope to feature in the finale and get a good result at the end of the day”, said sports director Davide Bramati.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele / Getty Images
Pieter Serry 
Mattia Cattaneo 
Jan Hirt 