Lotto Soudal aims for stage victory in Criterium du Dauphine
Jun 08 2019 03:17 am CET
Image: Lotto Soudal logo
Lotto Soudal is ready to start in the Criterium du Dauphine with the objective of taking a stage victory. This race will serve as preparation for the Tour de France.
The Belgian team will face the French race with a versatile and strong roster willing to test the shape ahead of the grand tour. The 71st edition of the competition will have a renewed course that includes stages with different challenges where all the types of riders have the opportunity to shine.
"Every year, the Critérium du Dauphiné is a hard stage race," said Lotto Soudal's sports director Herman Frison. "Almost all general classification riders of the Tour de France show up for this WorldTour race. In my opinion, there’s only one stage that can lead to a mass sprint. I consider the other stages to be more suitable for those who perform well uphill. That’s the reason why so few sprinters will compete in this race.
"The Tour de France remains our priority. Carl Fredrik Hagen and Bjorg Lambrecht will be given a free role in the Critérium du Dauphiné because we don’t want to put pressure on them. Our strategy is to ride offensively and see where it takes us. The main goal is to win a stage. Hagen and Lambrecht are the guys for the general classification, but once again: there’s no pressure.
"If it would come to a sprint in a reduced group, we still have a chance with Jens Keukeleire. Most stages are rather short, although there is one of 220 kilometres long without any flat parts, which allows us to ride offensively. Just think of Sander Armée or maybe Bjorg Lambrecht who could possibly make it to the breakaway."
Lotto Soudal's line-up for the Criterium du Dauphine (9th to 16th of June):
Sander Armée
Carl Fredrik Hagen
Jens Keukeleire
Bjorg Lambrecht
Tomasz Marczynski
Rémy Mertz
Harm Vanhoucke
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