Debutants Van Agt and Boven looking forward to Omloop Het Nieuwsblad
Saturday's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad marks the start of the Belgian cycling season for Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women. Eva van Agt and sports director Jan Boven are looking forward to the first Omloop Het Nieuwsblad for women.
Van Agt will make her season debut for the team in the spring classic after a long period of preparation. "I have prepared well for my first race with the team. We had three great training camps in Spain, and I am very grateful they were all facilitated. Despite a winter full of ups and downs, I am ready to start my season.”
"I like to attack, so my goal is to be in a promising breakaway”, Van Agt continued. "But above all, I want to do everything I can, together with the team, to create the best possible situation for Marianne Vos. After all, everyone has seen in recent weeks that she is in excellent form.”
"I love the hectic pace of the Flemish spring classics"
The 26-year-old rider, who begins her second season with the team on Saturday, will compete in the Belgian spring classic for the first time. "I love the hectic pace of the Flemish spring classics. The race also has a rich history, and the start in 't Kuipke is exceptional. The fact that it is the opening race of the spring makes it even more special.”
"The preparations for the first classic of the year have gone well”, sports director Boven adds. "Most of the riders have already raced in Australia and Spain with great results. Too bad Anna Henderson cannot start because of her crash. Fortunately, Vos already showed good things in Valencia, so we are confident she can fill Anna's role well.”
Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women will be looking to make their mark in the classics next spring, with a podium finish in a classic as their main goal. Boven: "This race is an important part of our preparation for the two monuments: the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix. This is the first time we will be racing in this formation. The core of this squad will also race the other classics. So, it will be an excellent opportunity to try out different roles.”
"It's exciting, but I'm also really looking forward to it."
Boven, who has previously worked with the men's side of the team, will make his debut as sports director in a women's road race on Saturday. "I am looking forward to it. I get on well with the girls and have had many great moments with them. It's exciting, but I'm also really looking forward to it.”
Van Agt will join Marianne Vos, Nienke Veenhoven, Linda Riedmann, Lieke Nooijen and Sophie von Berswordt-Wallrabe in the six-person Visma | Lease a Bike Women squad.
