Lotto Soudal Sets Ambitious Goals for Baloise Belgium Tour
Lotto Soudal is gearing up for the 91st edition of the Baloise Belgium Tour, with hopes of securing a strong overall result. The Belgian WorldTour team will be sending a formidable lineup including Victor Campenaerts, Jasper De Buyst, and Tim Wellens to compete in the five-day stage race.
According to Nikolas Maes, the sports director at the race, the Baloise Belgium Tour holds great significance for Lotto Soudal. “With a strong team at the start, we target a good general classification,” Maes states. He believes that the varied course of the race requires versatility from the riders, and he sees Campenaerts, Wellens, and Florian Vermeersch as key contenders.
The opening stage in the Flemish Ardennes, the time trial in Averbode, and the Ardennes stage in Durbuy will be crucial in the race for the general classification. Maes believes that riders like Campenaerts, Wellens, Vermeersch, and Frison have the potential to perform well in the time trial. He suggests that after the time trial, the team will assess whether they need to be on the defensive or go on the attack during Saturday’s stage.
While Lotto Soudal acknowledges the presence of strong sprinters in the race, they remain focused on achieving a solid overall result. Maes believes that Arnaud De Lie can seize any opportunities that come his way during the sprint stages. However, the main objective is to make an impact over the five days of racing in Belgium.
The Baloise Belgium Tour, which takes place from June 15th to June 19th, consists of five stages covering a variety of terrains and challenges.
The stages are as follows:
- Wednesday 15th June: Merelbeke – Maarkedal (170 km)
- Thursday 16th June: Beveren – Knokke-Heist (179 km)
- Friday 17th June: Scherpenheuvel-Zichem – Scherpenheuvel-Zichem (individual time trial – 11.8 km)
- Saturday 18th June: Durbuy – Durbuy (175 km)
- Sunday 19th June: Gingelom – Beringen (182 km)
