Team LottoNL-Jumbo starts the Amstel Gold Race on Sunday, April 17^th, with Robert Gesink, Sep Vanmarcke, Wilco Kelderman and Paul Martens as its main guns. The Dutch team aims to deliver in its home country.

“We don’t have the top favourite in our team, but we have a strong group of riders who are very motivated for this race,” Sports Director Merijn Zeeman said the week before the Dutch classic. “Robert Gesink, Sep Vanmarcke, Wilco Kelderman and Paul Martens have to be in good position from the Kruisberg, so they can focus on the finale of the race. Paul Martens will be active already in the pre-finale.”

Home country

Gesink did the Amstel Gold Race for the last time in 2012, but is making it a part of his programme again. “Robert wants to deliver some appealing results in the upcoming years again,” Zeeman added. “This year, he is focussing on the one-day races and stages in the big tours mostly. We’re curious to see his level this Sunday.”

Gesink came out of the Vuelta al País Vasco with a good feeling. “It was a very tough race, with bad weather, and I had to recover from that a couple of days,” he said. “My level was high, though, and I was able to compete with the best, except for one day in which the weather took its toll.

“I expect to be ready for Sunday. To race in your home country is always special. Plus I think that we have a team that is ready to fight for the trophy. Wilco en Paul showed some very good things in the Basque Country. Besides that, we have a very strong Sep Vanmarcke, who’s going to give us a lot of pleasure.”

Strong team

Enrico Battaglin is able to play a special role. He showed that he can position the front men very well. “We were strong as a team in the Basque Country,” the Italian said. “And we have to be that way another time in the Amstel Gold Race. I rode this race already two times and I know that it’s going to be very tough after 200 kilometres of racing. You need a strong team. I want to stay in the first group this Sunday so we will be able to fight for the win.”

Line-up:

Enrico Battaglin, Robert Gesink, Wilco Kelderman, Bert-Jan Lindeman, Paul Martens, Mike Teunissen, Maarten Tjallingii and Sep Vanmarcke.

Sports Directors:

Merijn Zeeman and Frans Maassen.