Cycling Pro Road & Mtb

HTC-Highroad set for tough opening weekend of Belgian Classics

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Parent Category: Cycling Pro Road & Mtb

Category: News Cycling Pro Road & Mtb 2011

Published on Friday, 25 February 2011 09:45

Written by Luca Salvatelli

Bad weather is expected this weekend for Belgium's first two major Classics, Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, but HTC-Highroad sports director, Allan Peiper says his team is ready for action no matter how hard the race conditions.

"We rode over the final 90 kilometers of Het Nieuwsblad this Thursday, so we've checked out the points where it'll come down to the final survivors," says Peiper, "but the conditions are going to be tough."

"It was looking pretty dirty out there, there's a lot of mud covering the roads, it was wet this morning and we're expecting a very testing event, a really muddy and murky day's racing."

"Het Niuewsblad will be a lot tougher than last year because this time they go three times across the Haeghoek cobbled section, so they'll already have had some 'softening up' before they get to the really crucial part of the race."

As for the HTC-Highroad line-up for the two Belgian Classics, "We'll have Bernie Eisel, who won Ghent-Wevelgem last year, as our leader on the Saturday, but he won't be racing Sunday. He's had a lot of races already and he will be challenging in the Classics later in the season, too."

"Hayden [Roulston] was fourth last year in Kuurne, though, and he's been good all the way up until now this season, including taking the New Zealand national championships, so he should be up there again."

"If Roulston can get over the late climbs with the front group in Het Nieuwsblad he's got a great chance on the cobbled sections that should decide the race."

"Those are two names I'd single out, but having seen how the guys were riding today as a team, I'm very optimistic about our chances overall in both events."

HTC-Highroad for Het Nieuwsblad: Lars Bak (Den); John Degenkolb (Ger); Bernhard Eisel (Aut), Jan Ghyselinck (Bel); Hayden Roulston (NZ), Alex Rasmussen (Den); Gatis Smukulis (Lat), Martin Velits (Svk).

HTC-Highroad for Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne: Lars Bak (Den); Matt Brammeier (Ire); Jan Ghyselinck (Bel); Leigh Howard (Aus); Danny Pate (USA); Hayden Roulston (NZ); Gatis Smukulis (Lat); Martin Velits (Svk).