ProTeam Lotto Soudal ready for Strade Bianche

On Saturday 6 March, Lotto Soudal is back on the Tuscan gravel roads for the Strade Bianche. This Italian one-day WorldTour race is only in its 15^th edition, but has quickly become a Classic. Between the start and finish in Siena, the peloton will face 11 ‘sterrati’, which totals 63 kilometres of white gravel roads. After 184 kilometres of racing, the Strade Bianche finishes on the iconic Piazza del Campo.

For Filippo Conca, Frederik Frison, Andreas Kron and Brent Van Moer, it is a first acquaintance with the Strade Bianche. Tim Wellens will spearhead the team during his 3^rd participation. On his debut in 2017, the Lotto Soudal rider finished on the podium. Also Tomasz Marczyński and Tosh Van der Sande have got multiple participations in the Strade Bianche under the belt. Sports director Mario Aerts looks ahead.

Mario Aerts: “Last year, we had some extreme weather conditions, but this year’s edition will be a lot cooler. If it rains on Saturday, it will of course change the race but according to the latest weather forecasts, it will remain relatively dry. The Monte Sante Marie – one of the longest gravel sections at around 50 kilometres from the finish – is often a crucial point in the race. However, with riders like Van der Poel, Van Aert or Alaphilippe you never know, so we have to keep our eyes wide open at all times and try to follow those riders when they attack. Then it’s about picking the right moment ourselves.”

“With Conca, Frison, Kron and Van Moer, we have four debutants in the team, it will be a first acquaintance with the Tuscan gravel roads for them. During the Strade Bianche, knowing the course is important, but positioning is even more so. And bad luck is also a part of the race, but it’s usually less decisive than in Paris-Roubaix for example. In the first place, we want to ride a good race and hopefully, a good result will be the outcome of that”, concludes Mario Aerts.  

Line-up Lotto Soudal: Filippo Conca, Frederik Frison, Andreas Kron, Tomasz Marczyński, Brent Van Moer, Tosh Van der Sande and Tim Wellens.