Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women wants to prove themselves in Flemish opening weekend
With Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Omloop van het Hageland, the women of Visma | Lease a Bike are also kicking off their classics season. While the yellow-and-black squad doesn’t have a top favorite at the start, they are determined to put on a strong performance. Eva van Agt and sports director Jan Boven share their thoughts ahead of the two races.
Van Agt started her season in Spain and looks back on it with a good feeling. “The beginning was a bit hectic since I hadn’t raced for a while. But things improved quickly, and as a team, we really gave it our all. That eventually resulted in a top-10 finish for Femke (de Vries) in the general classification. After that, I needed some time to recover, but now I feel great and ready for the opening weekend.”
“The cobbled classics suit me well, despite the chaos”, the Dutch rider continues. “During the race, I love riding over cobblestones. It makes the race harder, and that’s exactly what makes it exciting. The chaos of the spring classics always gives you a rush — you have to stay up front and dive into the gaps — but it also brings tension.”
"Of course, it’s a shame that Marianne isn’t here, but she showed us how it’s done last year"
The team starts without defending champion Marianne Vos, meaning there’s no clear team leader. “Of course, it’s a shame that Marianne isn’t here, but she showed us how it’s done last year”, Van Agt says with a smile. “Maybe that actually gives us more opportunities to go on the attack. But of course, that also depends on how the race unfolds.”
Sports director Boven also sees opportunities in Vos’ absence and is eager to see what Nienke Veenhoven can do. “I’m curious to see how Nienke performs in this race. Last year, she crashed at an unfortunate moment, but after that, she rode really strong. She has made great progress over the past few months, so I’m excited to see how she holds up against this strong field.”
“It would be great to have a few riders in the early break”, Boven continues. “We hope to stay in the race for as long as possible and make ourselves valuable, especially in the middle part of the race. Hopefully, we can play an important role and have our riders present at the front throughout the race.”
Expectations for the coming weekend are still modest, but from Strade Bianche onward, the yellow-and-black squad hopes to compete for top results. “The preparation for the big classics is going well. This weekend, we’re starting without clear leaders, which is good for the group because it allows them to race more freely. But from Strade Bianche onward, the hunt for top results begins. Marianne and Pauline (Ferrand-Prévot) are currently training at altitude, and everything is going according to plan.”
