The Giro d’Italia and Critérium du Dauphiné are
also among the high-profile events the team has decided to forgo.
“These are all very conscious choices," Van de Wouwer
explained. "If we look at our team as a whole, it would not have been wise
to ride the full WorldTour programme with just 25 riders. We have since added a
26th rider in Elia Viviani, but we still have six riders injured.
“Given that we have the luxury of selecting which WorldTour
races we compete in, we should not hesitate to make strategic decisions.”
Van de Wouwer emphasised that the team is aware of its
limitations, particularly in the climbing department.
"We know that we don't have a surplus, and we will need
to strengthen ourselves across the board during the summer. First of all, it is
clear that we don’t have enough climbers in the team. Modern one-week WorldTour
races involve a significant amount of climbing, so we need to improve in that
area."
The team is also prioritising the upcoming Flemish Classics
and is keen to ensure that its riders are not overburdened ahead of the key
races. That helps for a number of reasons, namely the riders will be avoiding
any crashes in the bunch either in Italy or France this week.
“Considering what is still to come with the Flemish
Classics, it is not an unwise choice to avoid overloading our riders at this
point. We have a very young group.”
Two of the team’s rising stars,
Arnaud De Lie and Lennert
Van Eetvelt, were fully in agreement with the decision to skip Paris-Nice and
Tirreno-Adriatico.
"Completely. It was precisely their vote that made the
difference," Van de Wouwer confirmed. "Arnaud De Lie was not at all
interested in Paris-Nice, and
Lennert Van Eetvelt is focused on preparing for
the Tour of Catalonia. That was perhaps the most important factor.”
The team manager acknowledged that by skipping these stage
races, Lotto Dstny is passing up potential opportunities but believes the
trade-off is worthwhile.
"If you don't participate, you can't win. But I don't
know if we would have had many chances to win a stage there. This decision
gives us better openings for what lies ahead. Are we increasing the pressure on
the Classics by doing this?
“We let our riders work towards their main goals for the
spring in the way that suits them best. You shouldn’t dwell on missed
opportunities—that's not how we approach it."
Van Eetvelt, in particular, is focusing on Catalonia, and
the team is confident in his progression.
"He has a clear goal with the Tour of Catalonia. We saw
in Strade Bianche that he was in good shape. Last year, he just missed the top
10, but this time he was well inside it. We have to be satisfied with that. By
Catalonia, he will be at his peak. I’ve seen that the field there is quite
strong, but a good Lennert should not be afraid of that and will aim for a
strong result in the general classification."
Arnaud De Lie endured a tough Opening Weekend, suffering
crashes that affected his form. However, Lotto Dstny remains optimistic about
his progress.
"He still lacks a few percent to be at his absolute
best—that was our conclusion after the Opening Weekend. Of course, those two
crashes in his preparation cost him something. But now he has the opportunity
to train well in Spain, which would have been more difficult in a stage race.
We will see if those extra percentages come. Via Nokere Koerse and Milan-San
Remo, he will transition into the Flemish spring. Only then will we take
stock—it’s far too early to do so now."
Beyond its established names, Lotto is also keeping a close
eye on its emerging talents as they look to bolster their ranks for the future.
“At the moment, I am still really surprised by someone. That
Steffen De Schuyteneer has talent and would prove himself was expected. But
Aldo Tailleu winning the prologue in Rwanda—that was a pleasant surprise. Some
riders still need time to develop. Jenno Berckmoes has been struggling but will
start in Milan-San Remo, and we expect something from him.”