Following an aggressive ride and second place at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Greg Van Avermaet is looking to carry his solid form to Italy when he returns to the start line of Strade Bianche on Saturday, 9 March.
CCC Team’s core Classics roster will support Van Avermaet at the race, which is famous for the iconic white dirt roads which make up more than 60 kilometers of the 184-kilometer race.
“We saw at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad that Greg Van Avermaet is really strong at the moment. He had a great race and with Strade Bianche suiting his characteristics very well, we are aiming for another good result on Saturday. Michael Schär and Łukasz Wiśniowski have lined up before, whereas Josef Černy, Gijs Van Hoecke, Nathan Van Hooydonck, and Guillaume Van Keirsbulck will all be discovering the race for the first time. Nevertheless, the team is strong and experienced on this kind of terrain, so we are confident in our selection for Strade Bianche,” Piva explained.
“At this stage, no rain is forecast, so it’s better for the riders when it is a dry Strade Bianche. As we saw last year, the conditions can make or break the race so if it stays dry, we should see a more open race.”
Van Avermaet is no stranger to the top ten at Strade Bianche but is yet to stand on the top step.
“I always look forward to Strade Bianche as it’s one of the most beautiful races of the whole season. My performance at Omloop Net Nieuwsblad gave me a lot of confidence and confirmed that my form is good and where it needs to be at this point in the Classics season. I am always up there at Strade Bianche. I’ve finished in the top ten on all but two occasions and finished on the podium twice but never on the top step, so this is a big goal of mine,” Van Avermaet said.
“It will be another chance to race together as a team which is always good and this year, the weather looks a lot better than the conditions we faced last year so we should be in for a really nice race on Saturday.”
Roster: Josef Černy (CZE), Michael Schär (SUI), Greg Van Avermaet (BEL), Gijs Van Hoecke (BEL), Nathan Van Hooydonck (BEL), Guillaume Van Keirsbulck (BEL), Łukasz Wiśniowski (POL).
Sports Directors: Valerio Piva (ITA), Fabio Baldato (ITA)
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