"If the finish line is slightly uphill or comes after a hard race, he’ll always be one of the best" - Soudal - Quick-Step bet on Luke Lamperti's classics potential

Luke Lamperti made no less than impressive professional debut with Soudal - Quick-Step which included a stage win at Czech Tour, five more podium results and a Grand Tour debut at Giro d'Italia. For now, the American seems cut out for a role of sprinter, but in the team they expect him to become the next classics star.

"He has the qualities to win after a hard race, which makes him a perfect candidate for the classics," sport manager Tom Steels told Velo. "That should be a goal for him. He has the potential to be a leader or an incredible teammate, but he still has time to develop," he said. "He definitely has the qualities to make it as a top professional."

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Yet despite showing his qualities as a sprinter time and time again, Lamperti will have a hard time breaking through as sprinter within Wolfpack who see even greater potential in another youngster, the 20-year-old Paul Magnier. And then there's also Tim Merlier, one of the world's best sprinters, who is a lock for the team’s Tour de France nomination. "This season will show us exactly where he stands as a rider."

Lamperti knows he might need to head in different direction to find his own place: "I don’t think I’ll be doing pure bunch sprints. I don’t know if I have the power for it," he admitted in an interview with Velo last year. "But at the same time, I’m happy to give them a go. I think I’ll do more of the classics, harder races, maybe [ones with] a bit harder of a sprint."

"But I think if I can make that next step to turning those into being more consistently on the podium and winning, that’s the step I would like to make," Lamperti said of 2025. "Obviously, it’s always easier said than done. We’ll see what I really develop into," he said. "But I think with the team, for sure I’m figuring out more and more what I’m actually good at."

"He’s more of a tough sprinter. If the finish line is slightly uphill or comes after a hard race, he’ll always be one of the best," Steels analyzes. "His sense of positioning is exceptional for such a young rider. He really understands the bunch and feels the race, which isn’t something you see often."

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