Dan Martin and Rui Costa will lead UAE Team Emirates as the World Tour heads to Holland and Belgium for the Ardennes Classics on Sunday.
UAE Team Emirates has announced a strong team for the three races held within an eight-day timeframe, including Matteo Bono, Manuele Mori, Aleksandr Riabushenko, Rory Sutherland and Diego Ulissi.
The programme starts with the Amstel Gold Race in Holland on April 15, followed by the Fleche Wallonne in Belgium three days later and then the Liege-Bastogne-Liege on April 22.
More than one million spectators are reported to gather for the three classics, which is now in its 29th year.
Irishman Martin will be using the Ardennes as a serious stepping stone towards the Tour de France in July – where he has achieved two top-10 finishes since 2016.
The 31-year-old, who captured the 2013 Liege-Bastogne-Liege and finished second in the 2017 edition of the Doyennes, is relishing the prospect of repeating his consistent displays in Belgium.
He said “Training gone well since Volta a Catalunya despite the heavy crash on the last stage. I’ve been in good condition all season but bad luck prevented me from showing it in results.
“I feel ready to head into some of my favourite races.”
His UAE team-mate Costa has also demonstrated his class in the Ardennes, finishing fourth in the 2015 Amstel Gold Race, fourth in the 2016 edition and fourth in the 2015 Liege-Bastogne-Liege.
The 31-year-old, who finished 12th in the Tour of the Basque Country last week, said: “I’m coming to the Ardennes with high morale and I’m confident that I can race to bring the team some significant results.
“The competition in these races is always fierce, but UAE Team Emirates will bring high quality; it’s an advantage to be able to count on a strong group.”
