Soudal - Quick-Step don't have a luxury mountain support for
Remco Evenepoel, but they are pulling out their best weapons for the Giro d'Italia. At the
Volta a Catalunya the team will test it's block which consists almost fully of the expected Giro lineup.
After winning the UAE Tour in spectacular fashion, Evenepoel has taken time to train at altitude. In a race that will almost exclusively be decided in the mountains he finds tougher terrain, and no time-trials to benefit from. It'll be a very important step towards the Giro d'Italia which he will be aiming at later this spring. The likes of João Almeida, Primoz Roglic, Mikel Landa, Richard Carapaz and Adam Yates will all be present in the Catalan event.
“We have a solid, experienced and very confident team for what we hope will be a good test to find out where the guys are at the moment following their recent altitude training camp," team DS Klaas Lodewyck said in a press release. "The main goal is to get a stage victory there and fight for a good general classification. We hope to be in the thick of the action every time it matters, to have a strong outing and show the Wolfpack spirit and mentality."
The team's block has just left Teide. Within are
Ilan van Wilder and
Jan Hirt who are set to be his main support riders, but a seven-man lineup exclusively made up of climbers.
Mattia Cattaneo,
Fausto Masnada,
Pieter Serry and
Louis Vervaeke complete the ranks.
Soudal - Quick-Step for Volta a Catalunya: Remco Evenepoel, Mattia Cattaneo, Jan Hirt, Fausto Masnada, Pieter Serry, Ilan van Wilder and Louis Vervaeke.