Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team has announced the selection for the World Ports Classic — a new race in 2012, covering 362.5km in two stages on Aug. 31st and Sept. 1st. Both stages look to favor the sprinters, as they are flat stages without any categorized climbs. The first stage is 201km, from Rotterdam to Antwerpen, and the second is 163km from Antwerpen to Rotterdam. However, Sports Director Wilfried Peeters believes the first stage could be challenging for reasons beyond the profile of the parcour.
"The World Ports Classic is a new race," Peeters said. "The parcour of the first stage could be insidious due to the weather conditions. In the first part, the parcour looks like the one we had at the Giro d'Italia with the arrival in Middelburg or the stage we did few weeks ago at the Eneco Tour. The wind could be a factor along the sea even if there will be room enough to prepare the sprint before the arrival in Antwerpen. The second stage is more suited to the pure sprinters, without any great difficulties. We have a good team, with riders able to ride in the wind and build up to be competitive at the sprint with the presence of Tom Boonen, who will be the road captain of the team."