Last year, the French race was cancelled due to the coronavirus. This year the race returns to Brittany. “I’m returning this year to make things right for sure”, Henderson said. “In the first stage in 2019, I bridged to the breakaway in the final lap and then attacked. Only one rider came past me just before the finish. The second day was a sprint finish with nearly a full peloton.”

Two tough stages are again on the program this year. The stages are hilly and around 130 kilometres long. Henderson: “I think it’s a super nice race for our team to use our strengths and be aggressive. There are some hills which make the race hard, which suits us. I think we can get some nice results here.”

Sports director Marco Postma: “Our goal is a win in the general classification. The first stage ends with six local laps that include a tough climb. The second stage seems less difficult on paper, but in Brittany there is not a single metre of flat land. In short: to perform we have to be sharp on both days. We go to France with a strong and super motivated team, so I have every confidence in a good result.”