Lorena Wiebes looks forward to see how she compares against other sprinters at season debut: "It is always exciting to discover what steps the competition has taken"

Lorena Wiebes is arguably the most feared sprinter in the women's peloton. Just last year, she secured more than 20 victories and is very likely to break the barrier of 100 professional triumphs (currently at 93) at some point this season. The European champion will have the opportunity to make the first steps towards that milestone already this week at the UAE Tour Women.

"It is always exciting to discover what steps the competition has taken. I want to continue to grow in the classics this year, without my sprint suffering," says Wiebes on the website of SD Worx - Protime. She'll be able to count on support from Barbara Guarischi, Femke Markus, Femke Gerritse, Marta Lach and Elena Cecchini at the upcoming UAE Tour.

"I am really looking forward to the new season. Will I start the UAE Tour with confidence? It is always exciting to discover what progress the other riders have made. You know what values ​​you are pedaling yourself, but you are in the dark about how that will relate to the others. I do know that we have worked hard as a team this past winter. Hopefully that will be enough to book success right away. If you quickly take your first victory, that is often a relief. It immediately takes some of the pressure off."

"As a sprinter, the UAE Tour is the perfect start to the season," the 25-year-old sprinter continues. "The weather is good, there are sprint opportunities and the difficult stage over Jebel Hafeet is a good incentive. They also made the tour a bit harder. Some stages became longer. I am also looking forward to the second day of racing, when we might be able to create echelons. According to the current forecast, the wind will be strong enough and will come from the right direction. That would be ideal, because that way you immediately train racing toughness."