ProTeam Sports director Pieter Vanspeybrouck looks ahead to the Nokere-Denain-Bredene triple header
With Baptiste Veistroffer, Joshua Giddings, Mathieu Kockelmann, Milan Menten, Roel van Sintmaartensdijk, Steffen De Schuyteneer and Lionel Taminiaux, Lotto-Intermarché will line up with a strong block at Nokere Koerse. And that will be needed, Vanspeybrouck knows. “Nokere is always an open race. The cobbled sections encourage aggressive racing, and this edition will be no different. It will be important to stay involved and be attentive at the front so that we are never forced to chase. That role is for Baptiste, Roel and Mathieu… Milan Menten can save himself for the sprint, while Steffen De Schuyteneer will have a free role as a sprinter.”
Cedric Beullens was initially also on the start list for Nokere, but he returned from Tirreno-Adriatico slightly ill. He will be replaced by Lionel Taminiaux. After his crash at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, where he broke his collarbone, Taminiaux is now set for his second race. He already raced at GP Vermarc last weekend.
After Nokere Koerse, it’s time for GP Denain. For Arnaud De Lie, it will be his first race since Tirreno–Adriatico. He will be joined by Felix Ørn-Kristoff, Milan Menten, Sébastien Grignard and Halvor Dolven. Toon Aerts will also start his road season in Denain, while Robin Orins returns after injury. “With Arnaud De Lie at the start, other teams will naturally be looking at us more,” Vanspeybrouck explains. “Denain is always a difficult race to control. In the first hundred kilometres it’s still manageable, but after that it becomes harder. Who is still there? Who has gone up the road? It will be about keeping the gaps as small as possible and shaping the race ourselves.”
On Friday, the Bredene–Koksijde Classic is on the programme. “There we are mainly targeting Vito Braet. He already performed very well in Paris-Nice and now has had a few days of rest. Last year he finished fifth in Bredene- it’s definitely a race that suits him.”
Photo: PhotoNews
