A young team will be at the start this Friday.
The 22nd edition of the Bredene Koksijde Classic has all the ingredients of a Belgian one-day race: climbs, cobbles, wind, and narrow roads which all promise to spice up the day and give the attackers a chance to foil the sprinters’ plans. The 200km course features two ascents of the iconic Kemmelberg, where the race could fragment, although given that the last ascent is tackled around 100 kilometers from the line, there’s a strong possibility for things to come back together. On the other hand, the wind could cause chaos on Friday and turn everything into an attritional race, especially on the famous De Moeren.
Just like in Nokere Koerse, where we finished in the top three, our team will take on this race with a young and motivated team. Gil Gelders, Luke Lamperti, Andrea Raccagni and Warre Vangheluwe will be joined by two riders from our feeder squad – Federico Savino and Gauthier Servranckx – on the six-man Soudal Quick-Step roster for the Wolfpack’s final outing of the week on Belgian soil.
“We start with six riders and we are determined to leave everything out there. The hills on the course could play a role in the outcome, but the wind is the one that could end up being crucial on Friday. We go through De Moeren, which is famous for its crosswinds and where the race could split. In the final we have two laps, where there is a possibility for a regrouping and a bunch sprint, although it remains to be seen how big that group will be”, explained sports director Iljo Keisse.
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