Robert Gesink and Laurens ten Dam are aiming for good results in the Tour de Suisse. After a pre-Tour de France training camp in the USA, the Team LottoNL-Jumbo front men want to take advantage of their fitness in Switzerland.
 
“We’re expecting a lot from Robert and Laurens,” Sports Director Jan Boven said. “Robert showed already in the past that this race suits him quite well. They both had good preparation. They only need some extra sharpness in the race.
 
“The first race after a training camp is always interesting because you never know exactly how your body is going to react after a period at altitude. We trained specifically for the Tour de France, but in a way that they should be helpful already for Switzerland.”

Fresh
Robert Gesink isn’t worried about how his body will react. “It’s not the first time that I trained at altitude and I know what I have to do,” he added. “Normally, I react quite well after such a training camp.”
 
Gesink’s season didn’t go exactly how he wanted after many setbacks, but he found his way to the top again in the Tour de Romandie and the Tour of California.

“The start of the season was strange,” he said. “After that, I was on a high level, immediately. I’m glad with that. I was forced to skip some big goals this spring, but maybe that will turn out to be beneficial in the end. I’m fresh at the moment, especially mentally. I took the next step in America and I’m going to Switzerland with ambitions for a good general classification. I’m aiming for a top 10 result and anything higher is a bonus.”

Test
The general classification is less important for Laurens ten Dam. “I want to ride a couple of good mountain stages,” he said. “Those stages will be an important confirmation that I had a good training camp in America. I returned from it with a good feeling. Tour de Suisse is an important test.”
 
Tour de Suisse is also a test for Tom Van Asbroeck and Sep Vanmarcke. “It’s an important stage race,” Boven added. “It’s a WorldTour race where we have to pick up some points. For Tom it’s a next step in his development because the Tour de Suisse is a tough race. Sep has been on altitude for the first time. It’s interesting to see how he reacts on that.”
 
Team line-up:
Robert Gesink, Laurens ten Dam, Tom Van Asbroeck, Sep Vanmarcke, Tom Leezer, Bert-Jan Lindeman, Mike Teunissen and Paul Martens.
 
Sports directors:
Jan Boven and Nico Verhoeven.