Our team will be in action at two one-day races.
An up-and-down 194.7km parcours that lends itself to attackers should make for an exciting day in the saddle at Druivenkoers Overijse, which is set to take place this Saturday. One day later, Brussels Cycling Classic (formerly known as Paris-Brussels) will give sprinters an opportunity to fight for victory at the 100th edition of an event that was won in the past by the likes of Briek Schotte, Rik Van Looy, Felice Gimondi, Eddy Merckx or Brian Holm, Deceuninck – Quick-Step’s sports director.
Runner-up at the Italian Championships and sixth at the European Championships held in Plouay after helping Italy take home the gold medal, Davide Ballerini will look to carry his strong form into this weekend at the two races, where also Florian Sénéchal can play an important role. The Frenchman recently finished third at the Bretagne Classic and can provide options to our team in both events.
The two will be joined on Deceuninck – Quick-Step’s six-man roster by Mikkel Honoré, Pieter Serry, and neo-pros Jannik Steimle and Mauri Vansevenant, the 21-year-old Belgian making his first appearance since a bout of gastroenteritis forced him to abandon the Critérium du Dauphiné, two weeks ago.
“We have a strong line-up with two fast finishers who showed in the past weeks a good condition. Saturday’s race won’t be easy at all, especially as the last hill comes just a few kilometers from the finish, so we have to cover all the moves and make sure we are there when it matters with these two guys. Then, on Sunday, it will be about protecting our leaders and get them into a good position, as it’s very likely it will end in a bunch sprint”, said Deceuninck – Quick-Step sports director Klaas Lodewyck.
Photo credit: ©Luc Claessen / Getty Images
Pieter Serry 