A pair of one-day races awaits our squad this weekend.
Heistse Pijl (198.7km) and Brussels Cycling Classic (207.1km), two races that we have won a combined seven times, will mark the team’s first outings of the month, and as ever, our riders will look to be in the mix. The first of these appointments should have the sprinters in the spotlight, while in Brussels the attackers and Classics specialists will get their chance to shine, on a course featuring the iconic Muur-Kapelmuur – Bosberg combination twice.
Belgian Champion Tim Merlier will be joined for Saturday’s race by Jannik Steimle, Bert Van Lerberghe, Stan Van Tricht, Louis Vervaeke – back for the first time since the Giro d’Italia – Jordi Warlop and Warre Vangheluwe, the winner of Gullegem Koerse. One day later, Warre will be replaced on the roster by Pepijn Reinderink, another Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team rider who has impressed this season with his Triptyque Ardennais stage victory and some solid displays at the Alpes Isère Tour.
“Heistse is an opportunity for the fast men, but will have a tricky finish due to the presence of that small cobblestone climb not far from the line. Tim is in good form and has a chance of fighting for the win, so we’ll try to bring him there. In Brussels, which is one of Belgium’s oldest races, the course is not easy at all, with those famous climbs, and even after we leave the circuit behind, we still have a couple of more hurdles which can shape the race. But our team is a strong one, it can adapt to the different scenarios and we’ll do our best to get a good result”, explained Soudal Quick-Step sports director Tom Steels.
Photo credit: ©Luc Claessen / Getty Images
Bert Van Lerberghe 
Pepijn Reinderink 
