Tom Boonen and Philippe Gilbert will lead the Quick-Step Floors team at Sunday’s Tour of Flanders as they try to use their strength in depth to win the cobbled Classic and defeat huge rivals Peter Sagan (Bora-hansgrohe) and Greg van Avermaet (BMC).
The Tour of Flanders will be an emotional but pressure-packed day for the team as they try to win the most important race on Flemish roads as Tom Boonen rides the Belgian monument for the last time in his long and prestigious career.
In the past 15 years Patrick Lefevere’s teams have won the Tour of Flanders five times and taken four other podium places.
ADVERTISEMENT
This year’s edition of the ‘Ronde’ van Vlaanderen will be Tom Boonen’s 15th and final outing at the race. His career will forever be linked to his first Monument win back in 2005, when he took his rivals by surprise and rode alone to the finish. Boonen has won the Tour of Flanders three times, adding other successes in 2006 and 2012. Boonen is due to retire after Paris-Roubaix, which he has won four times.
Boonen’s palmares earns him leadership status alongside Gilbert even if he has yet to show some great form. However, he and Gilbert make an interesting combination.
Iljo Keisse, Dwars door Vlaanderen victor Yves Lampaert, Zdenek Stybar, Niki Terpstra, Matteo Trentin and Julien Vermote will provide the experience and firepower to support the two and perhaps offer some kind of alternative if crashes and attacks force their hand.
You can read more at Cyclingnews.com
via Cyclingnews Latest News http://ift.tt/2noZegr
No comments:
Post a Comment