Our squad will be in action at Heistse Pijl and Brussels Cycling Classic
Heistse Pijl, the first competition of a busy weekend, runs its 55th edition Saturday afternoon, and our team – comprising Ayco Bastiaens, Antoine Huby, Paul Magnier, Andrea Raccagni, Martin Svrcek, Bert Van Lerberghe and Jordi Warlop – will hope to be again among the protagonists at the end of the race which traditionally comes down to a bunch sprint.
Scheduled on Sunday, Brussels Cycling Classic will mark Tim Merlier’s return to competition after a well-deserved break that the European Champion took following a successful first part of the season, during which he racked up a total of seven wins. Merlier will be joined on the start line by Gil Gelders, former Belgian Champion Yves Lampaert, Paul Magnier, Pieter Serry, Dries Van Gestel – returning to competition after the crash in Harelbeke that put an end to his spring classics campaign – and Bert Van Lerberghe.
One of the oldest races in the world, Brussels Cycling Classic comes with a demanding parcours featuring a circuit built around the Muur van Geraardsbergen and Bosberg, which the peloton will tackle three times, followed by a less demanding second half of the race, thus giving the sprinters the opportunity to come back in case of being dropped on that succession of climbs.
“We go with a well-balanced team to Heistse Pijl. Paul will be our main card, and he will be backed by a solid group of teammates, all capable of playing their role and even seize the opportunity if presented with it at some point during the race”, explained Soudal Quick-Step sports director Kevin Hulsmans. “For Brussels, we’ll have another strong and versatile squad, with Tim as our sprinter. The course is selective and can suit different types of riders, and for that reason we’ll count also on other guys, who can get involved in the dangerous moves that could form on the hard part of the race.”
Photo credit: ©Luc Claessen / Getty Images
