A motivated team will take on the spectacular one-day race where we have tasted victory on four different occasions.
The Opening Weekend is already history, but that doesn’t mean we won’t continue our adventure on home soil, ready to take on more hills and cobbles, this time in the province of Hainaut.
The Samyn Classic, another race that we have won multiple times, is scheduled this Tuesday, over a 204km relentless course where positioning will play an important role. Narrow roads, tricky corners, a dozen climbs and a total of 29 cobbled sectors are the main ingredients of what should be an action-packed edition of this one-day race which usually favours the attackers, but where a reduced bunch sprint is also possible.
Soudal Quick-Step goes to the start of the 58th edition with a strong seven-man team comprising Ayco Bastiaens, Laurenz Rex – a former winner of the event and our top finisher in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne – Martin Svrcek, Warre Vangheluwe, Bert Van Lerberghe, and Devo riders Ceriel Desal and Stan Van Tricht.
We have a solid team who can aim for a good result.
“The cobbles can make the difference and we can go on the offensive as there will be opportunities to do that, but we can also get involved in the fight for a top spot if it comes down to a mass gallop. Laurenz showed his speed here two years ago, and if this will be the scenario again, then we will try to do our best to support him in the sprint”, said sports director Niki Terpstra, himself a former winner of the Samyn Classic, on two occasions.
Photo credit: ©Wout Beel