ProTeam Lotto Cycling Team heads to the Tour de France with Lennert Van Eetvelt, Arnaud De Lie and Jenno Berckmoes
Arnaud De Lie, Brent Van Moer, Jarrad Drizners, Eduardo Sepúlveda, Lennert Van Eetvelt, Jenno Berckmoes, Jasper De Buyst and Sébastien Grignard: these are the eight riders who will defend the colors of Lotto Cycling Team in the upcoming Tour de France. They’ll do so in a unique jersey- loyal partner Caps will be prominently featured on the kit for the three-week race- as they fight for victory.
Lotto Cycling Team is thus heading to France with a varied and well-balanced squad. With Jarrad Drizners and experienced rider Jasper De Buyst, Arnaud De Lie has excellent support for his sprint train. Lennert Van Eetvelt will rely on support in the mountain stages, notably from Eduardo Sepulveda. “Brent Van Moer and Sebastien Grignard showed in Switzerland last week that they can take on various roles. They’re riders you can always count on. And Jenno Berckmoes proved he’s in good form with his stage win in the Baloise Belgium Tour. That Arnaud De Lie is coming back from a difficult period is something we all know, but in the Tour de Suisse he gained confidence day by day. He’s back to his old self and ready for three weeks in France.”
Lennert Van Eetvelt will also make his Tour de France debut on Saturday. For Arnaud De Lie, it will be his second appearance. “Without putting pressure on our young guys- we’re going to France mainly to learn- we still believe in our chances. There will be sprint opportunities for De Lie, and climbing chances for Lennert”, explains sports manager Kurt Van de Wouwer in more detail about the selection. “With Drizners we have someone who can keep the group together; De Buyst and Sepulveda will bring their experience and composure. I believe that with this diverse and strong squad, we can make it a great Tour.”
Both Lennert Van Eetvelt and Sebastien Grignard suffered serious crashes last Sunday during the Belgian Championships. Further medical checks have since shown nothing alarming, so fortunately both are cleared to start without any problems.
Picture: Steve Dinneweth
