Greipel to make Volta a Catalunya debut as Classics prep
André Greipel has 21 Grand Tour stages to his name, but at 34 he is yet to win a Monument. In order to change his Classics fortunes, the German champion will change up his early season and race the Volta a Catalunya for the first time as preparation for the Tour of Flanders. Greipel's best finish so far in Flanders was 15th in 2015.
"It's important for every rider to focus on other goals now and then. That helps to stay motivated and is challenging," Lotto Soudal manager Marc Sergeant said. "André starts the season with the Challenge Mallorca and Volta ao Algarve, just like last year. Of course we are very pleased with the victory of André in Mallorca."
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Greipel won the Trofeo Porreres - Campos last week in his first race of the year, and after dropping out of the hilly Trofeo Andratx-Mirador des Colomer, he was just off the podium in the sprint on the final day of the Challenge Mallorca series in Palma.
The German has remained in Europe in the early season for the past two years, skipping the typical sprint-friendly races like Tour Down Under, where he amassed 16 stages between 2008 and 2014, and the now-cancelled Tour of Qatar, opting instead to follow up the Challenge Mallorca with the Volta ao Algarve and Paris-Nice.
This year, Sergeant says Greipel will slot in the Abu Dhabi Tour in between the two, rather than have two weeks off from racing.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
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