No Wout Van Aert, but Visma do add last-minute leader to Gent Wevelgem lineup

After a disappointing E3 Saxo Classic, some have argued that Wout van Aert could add Gent Wevelgem to his schedule. That will not happen and the Belgian will continue with his initial program towards the monuments, but the team have added Matteo Jorgenson in a bid to have more firepower this Sunday.

The change comes last minute, and the American replaces Loe van Belle. He will certainly be amongst the favourites and one of the strongest riders for the climbs that the riders will tackle. Together with Tiesj Benoot, the duo will likely be covering moves, whilst a sprint likely remains the favoured scenario for the team.

Olav Kooij will be the leader and is a man capable of handling this terrain. The experienced likes of Victor Campenaerts, Tosh van der Sande, Julien Vermote and Dan McLay complete a lineup that is well capable of fighting for victory.

“He deserves our full support in Gent-Wevelgem," team DS Girscha Niermann said in a press release. "We are going for a sprint with Olav, but in this race every edition is a game between attackers and sprinters. A sprint is therefore not a given, but we are going to guide Olav to the finish line as best we can.”

Kooij himself, having the responsibility, is confident in a strong race: “I think it's a very nice race. Especially the edition that Christophe Laporte won on behalf of our team was brilliant because of our excellent team effort. The important thing for us is to be attentive in the hilly area and then see what the situation is towards Wevelgem. Hopefully we can create a situation there in which we can fight for the win.”  

Team Visma | Lease a Bike for Gent Wevelgem:

Olav Kooij
Victor Campenaerts
Tiesj Benoot
Julien Vermote
Dan McLay
Matteo Jorgenson
Tosh van der Sande