Team Visma | Lease a Bike aims for new success in Flemish opening weekend
This weekend in Belgium, the classic cycling season kicks off with the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne. Team Visma | Lease a Bike delivered four different winners in the past two years and aims to continue that success. Wout van Aert and sports director Grischa Niermann preview the Flemish races.
Team Visma | Lease a Bike will think back to the previous editions of Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne with warm feelings. In 2022, Van Aert won the Omloop for the first time and in 2023, Dylan van Baarle and Tiesj Benoot ensured a fine double in the opening weekend. That was repeated last year by Jan Tratnik and Van Aert, who gave the team a dream start to the classic campaign.
If it is up to Niermann, that trend will continue. "Our goal is to win a race", the sports director stated. "Despite the necessary changes we have had to make in the lineup, we have a very strong team for both days. We have prepared well and are motivated to get a nice result."
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With Van Aert as leader and Kooij joining as sprinter in Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne, Niermann expects to be able to do well in both races. "Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne is decided more often than Omloop in a sprint of a large group. The past two years we have been able to avoid a sprint, but now that Olav is there, we have multiple options. Olav likes to ride these races and we think Kuurne is one of the spring classics that suits him best."
"I look back on the first races with a satisfied feeling."
Van Aert made his first road race kilometres of this season in the Clasica Jaen and the Volta ao Algarve and left a good impression, especially in the final time trial. Behind Jonas Vingegaard, who won the general classification, he took a second place. "I look back on the first races with a satisfied feeling", Van Aert said.
"The goal was to win an extra percent in those first races and I think I succeeded. I found the confidence and fun and that has pleased me a lot", said Van Aert. "I think after next weekend we will really be able to tell what my level is like. The most important thing is that I felt better every day and took a step forward."
Niermann is tempering expectations around Van Aert. "Wout showed in the time trial of the Volta ao Algarve that he is in good shape. Nevertheless, we should not yet expect him to be in absolute top form this weekend. His peak is in late March, early April, when the monuments are on the programme. The Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne are two nice benchmarks."
Squad Team Visma | Lease a Bike - Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (1-03): Wout van Aert, Tiesj Benoot, Matteo Jorgenson, Edoardo Affini, Per Strand Hagenes, Victor Campenaerts and Matthew Brennan.
Squad Team Visma | Lease a Bike - Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne (2-03): Wout van Aert, Olav Kooij, Tiesj Benoot, Matteo Jorgenson, Edoardo Affini, Loe van Belle and Victor Campenaerts.
