ProTeam Sports director Pieter Vanspeybrouck looks ahead to the Nokere-Denain-Bredene triple header
# Vanspeybrouck Prepares Lotto-Intermarché for Nokere-Denain-Bredene Showdown
Sports director Pieter Vanspeybrouck is gearing up to lead Lotto-Intermarché through an ambitious trio of races, beginning with Nokere Koerse. The team, featuring riders Baptiste Veistroffer, Joshua Giddings, Mathieu Kockelmann, Milan Menten, Roel van Sintmaartensdijk, Steffen De Schuyteneer, and Lionel Taminiaux, is poised to tackle the challenging cobbled terrain.
Vanspeybrouck acknowledges the tough nature of Nokere: “Nokere is always an open race. The cobbled sections encourage aggressive racing, and this edition will be no different.” He emphasizes the need for vigilance, stating, “It will be important to stay involved and be attentive at the front so that we are never forced to chase.” He has assigned tactical roles within the team, indicating that “Baptiste, Roel, and Mathieu” will be on chase duty, while “Milan Menten can save himself for the sprint,” alongside Steffen De Schuyteneer, who will have a “free role as a sprinter.”
Cedric Beullens, initially slated for the lineup, has fallen ill after returning from Tirreno-Adriatico and will be replaced by Lionel Taminiaux. Taminiaux is eager to return to competition following a collarbone injury from a crash at the Cadel Evans Great Ocean Road Race, having already participated in GP Vermarc.
Following Nokere is GP Denain, where Arnaud De Lie will make his return after Tirreno-Adriatico, joined by Felix Ørn-Kristoff, Milan Menten, Sébastien Grignard, and Halvor Dolven. Toon Aerts is also set to kick off his road season in this race, while Robin Orins returns from injury. Vanspeybrouck notes the added pressure of having De Lie on the start line: “With Arnaud De Lie at the start, other teams will naturally be looking at us more.” He discusses the complexities of Denain, stating, “Denain is always a difficult race to control… It will be about keeping the gaps as small as possible and shaping the race ourselves.”
The final stop in this competitive series is the Bredene–Koksijde Classic, where Vito Braet is expected to shine. “He already performed very well in Paris-Nice and now has had a few days of rest,” Vanspeybrouck mentions. “Last year he finished fifth in Bredene – it’s definitely a race that suits him.”
As the team enters this intense schedule, all eyes will be on their strategic execution and individual performances across these crucial races.
