UAE Team Emirates’ stars continue their preparations for the upcoming Spring Classics as they head to Belgium to take on the one-day Danilith Nokere Koerse.
Leading the charge on home soil will be Jasper Philipsen, who is eager to recapture the form that saw him pick up a stage victory at the Santos Tour Down Under two months ago.
He will be supported by Portuguese brothers Ivo and Rui Oliveira, Italian duo Roberto Ferrari, Manuele Mori, Belarus’ Aleksandr Riabushenko and Norwegian national champion, Vegard Stake Laengen.
The race has added importance for some riders, particularly those who have hopes of making the team’s line-up for the prestigious Tour of Flanders – which gets under way in less than three weeks.
Wednesday’s race will see the peloton set off from Deinze and tackle a 195.6km route through the region of Flanders, synonymous with cycling as its cobbled roads provide a distinct test which is unique to races from this region.
The rolling parcours and circuits will undoubtedly be a test on riders’ reserves, as well as their bikes; the cobbles often causing various mechanical malfunctions. The race will culminate in an uphill battle across the cobbles to the finish in Nokereberg.
Philipsen said: “I’d like to better myself compared to last year, when I was able to escape. The race suites my style.
“The goal is to try to be in the front for the final and give the best on the cobbled climb heading to the finish. It’s going to be the last appointment prior to the big classics and I’ll look for some positive signals to get even more motivation.”
