# Lotto Cycling Team Prepares for Tour of Flanders: A Look Ahead
As the excitement builds for the upcoming Tour of Flanders, the Lotto Cycling Team is gearing up with new bikes and a fresh perspective. Their brand-new jersey, designed to commemorate 40 years of Lotto’s presence in cycling, will make its debut on Sunday. Today, however, attention turned to the unveiled custom paint jobs from bike manufacturer Orbea as part of the ‘MyO’ project, adding a personal touch for the riders.
Jenno Berckmoes expressed confidence regarding the team’s readiness: “Our team is ready. Of course, we’re missing our leader, Arnaud De Lie, but over the past few weeks, we’ve shown in almost every race that we can compete. We’ve already proven that we are strong as a team. I see no reason why we wouldn’t be there again on Sunday when the race opens up. At the very least, we’ll give it everything to try. There are two, maybe three, top favorites, but behind them, anything is possible. We’ll race with an open mind.”
Teammate Arjen Livyns echoed Berckmoes’ sentiment, highlighting the importance of positioning early in the race: “An ideal scenario would be to reach the first climb of the Oude Kwaremont with a small group and a gap. If you’re left with ten riders ahead of the main peloton, opportunities open up. That’s a chance we can’t afford to miss. The legs on Sunday will decide who from our team has to go with the move, but we won’t give ourselves away too soon.”
Adding to the team’s dynamic is Lennert Van Eetvelt, making his debut at the Tour of Flanders, despite a bout of illness that kept him from today’s press conference. His awareness of the challenging course is an asset, as he aims for recovery: “We’re still assuming that plan A remains in place,” says sports director Nikolas Maes. “Lennert at the start of the Tour of Flanders is no surprise to us. We believe in his abilities. He knows the course and has done extensive reconnaissance. Theoretically, he should be able to handle the Flanders route. If he can prove himself after the second ascent of the Kwaremont, survive the early positioning battles, and still be in contention by the Taaienberg, then we could see him achieving a strong result here.”
As the Lotto Cycling Team heads into this demanding race, they are determined to leave their mark and showcase their resilience, ready to seize any opportunity that comes their way.
