Our ladies already reconned their Omloop Het Nieuwsblad last Wednesday. They did so under bright sunshine and unusually mild spring temperatures. Today will be a different story, with rain and wind forecast. “I hope it won’t be too bad, then it will be a nice day… although it will be a nice day anyway,” laughs Katrijn De Clercq. She will start the Omloop in support of team leader Linda Riedmann. The German rider is new to the team. In De Clercq she already has a strong guide, as she knows the Omloop course like no other. “The race literally passes by my front door,” she says. “These are my training roads. So I’m really looking forward to it. Last year I missed my entire spring due to a heavy crash in Le Samyn, so now I finally get the chance again to test my personal form and condition. With Linda we have a great leader, which gives extra motivation to play my part. We truly stand there as a team. The atmosphere is very good, everyone is willing to go through fire for each other and we have a solid plan ready to get the best possible result.”
Linda Riedmann herself also feels ready. “Omloop Het Nieuwsblad is one of my favourite races of the year,” she says. “The fact that I can ride it this year for a Belgian team (Riedmann rode for Visma–Lease a Bike last season, ed.) makes it even more special. Unlike last year, at Lotto–Intermarché I can go for my own chances and I get more freedom. That is new for me. I am very grateful for the trust, but I am also very curious to see how far that will take me during the spring classics. I believe we can continue to grow together as a team during the season and that we can show some nice things.”
