Omega Pharma - Quick-Step Cycling Team has prepared well in advance for the 53.2km UCI World TTT Championship on Sunday. The course features several climbs, including the Cauberg just before the finish. OPQS Sports Director Tom Steels took time after course recon on Friday to discuss the TTT, and the competition OPQS will be battling for a podium spot on Sunday.
What was preparation like, and how will the staff and riders focus going into the race?
We filmed the course in March, then came here around the time of Eneco Tour to see how it went with six riders. We filmed again, then we put together a great road book of the parcour, then yesterday we did it again alone. We rode the course today with the team, and the evening before the race we will talk about the course again with the riders. We already know it by heart — the tricky parts of the course. Now the riders have to say 'OK, we take those decisions. We do this on the left turn, that on the right turn. There you go full gas, and there on the course you can't go full gas.' Then it's up to us in the car on Sunday to lead them out. But I think they know most of it already. We still have to give feedback on course. There are some speed bumps, and when riders are tired, they may not know those are coming up. So we have to tell them.
Can you talk about the course, and a little about the strategy necessary to do well?
The first part of the course, the 8 or 9 kilometers, they have to be careful, maintain their line and make the corners smooth. After that it gets physical and really power based. They have to take good turns and the stronger ones have to maybe ride at the front a little longer. The other ones just have to keep up. But that's for sure where the difference will be made — in the power based section with several climbs. I think the difference might be made before we even get to the Cauberg in the final.
What do you think of our selection for the TTT? How important will it be to prevent sacrificing riders?
I think individually they are all top time trialists. We don't really have a weak spot. Of course we have Tony Martin, who is the World Champion, but the others are quite similar. I think the turns for the most part will be quite equal, but in the end, maybe Tony, Chava and maybe Tom and Niki have to take the longest turns. Let's hope they can keep it up. In the downhill before the Cauberg you cannot really sacrifice someone. Maybe in the last 500 or 600 meters you can, but then you have a roundabout, a ride corner, so maybe you get a little bit too technical to lose someone. Maybe on the start of the Cauberg we could possibly lose someone, but the downhill for sure we need everybody, because the speed will be too high.
Who are our top competitors?
There are a lot of good teams. Rabobank for sure is a top team because this is a home competition for them, but there are other teams like Radioshack, Team Sky even though they are missing their top riders, because they are still strong. I think it will be close between five or six teams for sure. Getting on the podium would be great for us. With all of the top competitors it won't be easy, but if you see our team, how they rode all year, we have to believe and be convinced we can make it to the podium. They are experienced and proved this year they belong at the top of the WorldTour. So, our goal has to be for the podium.
Thanks Tom, and good luck on Sunday!
Thanks, we will do our best to get a good result!