Cycling Pro Road & Mtb

Cycling Road Race: One for classic lovers

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Parent Category: Cycling Pro Road & Mtb

Category: News Cycling Pro Road & Mtb 2011

Published on Thursday, 14 April 2011 17:30

Written by Luca Salvatelli

18 teams have been invited to take part in the 65th edition of the Tour de Picardie. This year’s field has varied and unpredictable race scenarios in store.

The Tour de Picardie sometimes resembles a sprint contest, with routes which make it easy for the best finishers to organise their chase. Indeed, some of the quickest men in the peloton are expected to go head-to-head there between next May 13 and 15. Expect to see hotly-contested sprints when Gert Steegmans, Heinrich Haussler, Greg Henderson, Romain Feillu, William Bonnet and Jimmy Casper all barrel down the finishing straights. But the provisional starting list also features great classics specialists who have chosen Picardy for their “summertime” return to racing. Philippe Gilbert, the most ambitious of them all, is no doubt plotting to foil the sprinters’ plans. This is also one of Juan Antonio Flecha, Stijn Devolder, Frédéric Guesdon and Thomas Voeckler’s favourite pastimes, much to the spectators’ delight.

18 teams, main contenders (as of 14th April 2011)

AG2R La Mondiale: Champion, Lemarchand (FRA); Katusha Team: Gusev (RUS); Omega Pharma-Lotto: Gilbert, Roelandts (BEL); Quick Step Cycling Team: Steegmans (BEL); Sky Procycling: Thomas (GBR), Flecha (SPA), Henderson (NZL); Team Garmin-Cervélo: Haussler (AUS), Maaskant (NET); Vacansoleil-DCM Pro Cycling Team: Devolder (BEL), Feillu (FRA); Landbouwkrediet: Amorison (BEL); Topsport Vlaanderen - Mercator: Van Staeyen (BEL); Veranda’s Willem - Accent: Van Dijk (NET); Bretagne - Schuller: Le Bon, Bonsergent (FRA); Cofidis, le crédit en ligne: Ista (BEL); FDJ: Bonnet, Guesdon, Offredo (FRA), Hutarovich (BLR); Saur-Sojasun: Casper, Engoulvent (FRA); Team Europcar: Turgot, Voeckler (FRA); Skil-Shimano: Veelers, Van Hummel (NET); BigMat - Auber 93 : line-up to be communicated; Roubaix Lille Métropole: Flahaut (FRA)