Our team is ready to take on one of the most spectacular one-day races of the month.
Sunday will be a busy day for the Wolfpack: the last stage of the Tour Auvergne - Rhône-Alpes, the Copenhagen Sprint, and the Muur Classic Geraardsbergen. The Belgian race, 179 kilometers in length, is a young event on the calendar, and for our squad this will be the first appearance there.
Paul Magnier, one of the most successful riders of the season, with five victories and three additional podiums to his name, will lead Soudal Quick-Step at the fourth edition of this race which takes in around two dozen climbs - including a triple ascent of the Muur-Kapelmuur - and an elevation gain of 2000 meters. Joining the Frenchman at the start will be Gil Gelders, Andrea Raccagni, Dylan Van Baarle, as well as Devo riders Cériel Desal - winner of Boucle de l’Artois this season - Paris-Roubaix Espoirs top five finisher Joeri Schaper, and Stan Van Tricht.
It’s a race with a pretty demanding course, comprising many climbs that we know well from De Ronde and the Renewi Tour, and this will make it difficult to control.
“Paul comes here after a great Giro d’Italia and a strong outing on Wednesday, but also Andrea has shown a good form, while Dylan - who is racing for the first time since the Spring Classics - brings in a lot of experience. The other guys are all ready to support our ambitions, so we hope for a good result on Sunday”, explained Soudal Quick-Step sports director Geert Van Bondt.
Photo credit: ©Luc Claessen / Getty Images
