Ilan Van Wilder will start his fourth season with the team in Portugal.
Figueira Champions Classic is one of the newest races on the calendar and one that since its inception has become synonymous with Soudal Quick-Step, and that’s why because both editions held so far have been won by our riders.
In 2023, newcomer Casper Pedersen emerged as the fastest from a select 11-man group that made it to the finish after a series of attacks that split the peloton, while one year later, Remco Evenepoel made a huge acceleration with more than 50 kilometers to go, dropping everyone and putting almost two minutes into the riders who rounded out the podium.
This year, the one-day Portuguese race is a bit shorter, but remains just as hard, with the peloton set to cover three times a demanding circuit comprising the Rua Parque Forestal and Enforca Cães climbs, where a selection can be made. The last of these obstacles comes only six kilometers from the finish line, thus favouring the attackers.
Gil Gelders, Yves Lampaert, Paul Magnier – who brought our team’s first European victory of the season – Martin Svrcek, Dries Van Gestel, Ilan Van Wilder, who will get his season underway this weekend, and Warre Vangheluwe are our seven riders at the start of Sunday’s race.
“We go with a very strong team to Figueira Champions Classic, a team who can be in the mix for a good result in case of a small bunch sprint, but also if the race opens up early. There could be some wind which could influence the way things go, but one thing that’s certain is that the local laps are really demanding and many things could happen there. Regardless of the scenario, we are looking forward to this race”, said Soudal Quick-Step sports director Iljo Keisse.
Photo credit: ©Wout Beel
