A strong six-man squad is ready for the last stage race of the spring.
For the first time in the team’s 24-year history, Soudal Quick-Step will be at the start of the Boucles de la Mayennes, a race created in 1975 and held this week over four days, starting from 28 May. Things get underway with an evening prologue on the streets of Laval, which will be followed by the first of this edition’s two opportunities for the sprinters. The gaps after these two days are sure to be small, which means everything will be decided on the roads to Pré-en-Pail-Saint-Samson, featuring around a dozen climbs and over 3000 vertical meters.
Our team will be present in France for the first time since mid-April, when Jasper Stuyven delivered a strong third place in the spring’s final Monument, Paris-Roubaix, and Alberto Dainese, Ethan Hayter, Yves Lampaert, Casper Pedersen, Pepijn Reinderink, and Jonathan Vervenne will all look to put our team in the spotlight.
“We’re looking forward to our first appearance in Boucles de la Mayennes and hope to get some nice results from the first day, which should suit several of our riders. It will be hot every day of the week, and this could have an impact on the race, but the guys come into the race with a lot of motivation and are prepared to do their best. It’s a parcours that gives opportunities to all kinds of riders, and we would like to be in the mix for a stage victory”, explained Soudal Quick-Step sports director Iljo Keisse, who will lead the team from the car together with Niki Terpstra.
Photo credit: ©Szymon Gruchalski / Getty Images
