A seven-man squad led by Italian Champion Elia Viviani will be at the start of the only World Tour race in the United Kingdom.
The 183km-long RideLondon Classic (July 29) will kick off from The Mall, take the riders into the Surrey Hills, where the peloton is likely to splinter under the big attacks launched on the winding and narrow roads by those wanting to drop the sprinters, head over Leith Hill and Box Hill, and then return to the vibrant capital of the United Kingdon for the now traditional finish in the shadow of the Buckingham Palace, where Quick-Step Floors took the spoils two years ago.
Such is the unpredictable nature of RideLondon Classic, that the race can be won from different scenarios: small breakaway, bunch sprint, or late attack. That's the reason why Quick-Step Floors – the most successful outfit of the season – is lining out at the start a team capable of being a protagonist regardless of the situation, a seven-man squad comprising Dries Devenyns, Fabio Jakobsen, Davide Martinelli, Michael Mørkøv, Fabio Sabatini, Florian Sénéchal and Elia Viviani, the rider who has amassed the most victories in 2018 so far, 14.
"This will be the first appointment in the second part of the season for our riders who are coming out of a longer race break. As always, after such a break we have to see how the shape is and if the guys have recovered well after training at altitude", said sports director Rik van Slycke. "It is not an easy route with all those demanding hills around London, but if Elia feels good he can be one of the contenders. However, we aren't going there with just one card, but instead will keep an eye on how the race – which is really unpredictable and favours also a breakaway – will unfold, ready to respond."
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