Benoit Cosnefroy is a rider that has used us to see him shining on the classics races, specially the hilly ones. He has a strong punch and combative way of racing that already made him secure some very important results and wins such the GP Quebec victory last season.
Despite going for his 7th season as a pro cyclist and being a rider that is suited for that type of races, the Frenchman will only now make his debut in the Flemish cobbled classics.
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (25 February),
E3 Saxo Bank Classic (24 March) and possibly Tour des Flandres (4 April) are the Flemish cobbled races that the Frenchman will start in, has revealed by
AG2R Citroën Team in a press release.
The 27 years old rider, Cosnefroy, despite making his debut in the Flemish cobbles has a pro, he previously raced some of them in his rookie u23 division years. With a 17th spot in Gent-Wevelgem u23 and 13th place in Tour des Flandres u23 during the 2017 season, the season where he won the U23 World Championships Road Race.
So Cosnefroy despite going to do his pro debut on these races, is not totally unfamiliar with this type of terrains has he previously raced some of them in the u23 versions, achieving solid results.
Although this new additions to his schedule, he will still start his season in familiar ground in France, Grand Prix La Marseillaise (29 January) and Etoile de Bessèges (1 to 5 February) will be his first one-day and stage races. Going later to the Middle East in Tour of Oman (10 to 14 February).
His main objectives will probably be the Spring Classics where he last season almost won Amstel Gold Race, the autumn classics like GP Quebec which he won and doing well on the French calendar races, where his team always has big goals.