Our feeder team goes with a lot of ambitions to the start of the race.
Last year, Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team was one of the top squads at the Giro Next Gen, winning a pair of stages and the points jersey after a superb week, and our riders aim to be again in the thick of the action and fight for good results at what is one of the most prestigious U23 races on the calendar.
Rho, a small town in Lombardia, is where the event gets underway on Sunday with an 8.4km individual time trial – the only test against the clock of the week – but the order in the rankings could change as early as the next day, when the peloton will embark on an up-and-down stage whose finale is perfect for the puncheurs. Passo del Maniva and Prato Nevoso are the two summit finishes of the Giro Next Gen, two hard climbs that should play a decisive role in the way the general classification will look like next Sunday, when the race concludes in Pinerolo, a city put on the cycling map by Fausto Coppi’s legendary victory at the 1949 Il Giro.
Hodei Muñoz, Federico Savino, Viktor Soenens – who posted some solid rides and results this year with the World Tour team at O Gran Camiño and Settimana Internazionale Coppi e Bartali – Lars Vanden Heede and Belgian ITT Champion Jonathan Vervenne are the five Soudal Quick-Step Devo Team riders for the 48th edition of the Giro Next Gen.
“It’s one of the biggest races of the season and we’re heading there with ambitions. We start with a strong and well-balanced team, ready to give its best across all terrains. Viktor is going to be our man for the GC, as this race will be an important test for him, while Jonathan will aim for a strong ITT on the opening day. The entire squad is ready to race offensively and take their chances on this challenging parcours”, explained sports director Kevin Hulsmans.
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