Kasper Asgreen was the final Soudal-QuickStep rider to win Tour of Flanders, incomes his gorgeous 2021 victory in a two-up dash in opposition to then-defending champion Mathieu van der Poel.
It was a yr that Soudal-QuickStep reigned supreme within the Spring Classics, successful 5 of the one-day spring races. Asgreen accounted for a pair of the victories, having notched a solo win at E3 Saxo Traditional forward of his Monument triumph. Julian Alaphilippe received La Flèche Wallonne for a 3rd time, with podiums at Strade Bianche and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
After the 2021 marketing campaign, the regular stream of Classics conquests subsided. Two riders – Remco Evenepoel successful back-to-back at Liège-Bastogne-Liège the previous two years and Tim Merlier successful Nokere Koerse twice – earned the large outcomes. At Flanders, Asgreen was the highest QuickStep finisher in 2022 in twenty third place and rebounded for a prime 10 final yr.
“Going into De Ronde, it’s fairly clear for everybody that we’re in a unique scenario than previously. We’d have most popular to be within the place we have been a few years in the past, however we aren’t and that’s a reality,” Asgreen stated Friday upfront of his sixth look on the Ronde.
“Being annoyed by the actual fact we aren’t the identical workforce anymore or sitting in a nook crying received’t assist us.
“We now have to work laborious to return to the extent we had previously, nevertheless it’s apparent that for Sunday afternoon we’ll must adapt and convey one thing completely different. As we aren’t the workforce that has to manage the race anymore and dictate the way it unfolds, we’ll attempt to be ready the place we will do one thing fascinating with a stable end in thoughts.”
Final yr’s runner-up at Flanders Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Deceuninck) returns as a transparent favorite, now that a number of contenders are out attributable to accidents sustained in Dwars door Vlaanderen, together with Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike), Jasper Stuyven (Lidl-Trek).
“Following Wednesday’s Dwars door Vlaanderen issues have modified and it’s very doubtless we are going to see a unique race than we have been used to, with a very new dynamic,” Asgreen stated.
“We’ll must anticipate, however that’s not a secret. Flanders is a race with many essential factors and we have to discover the one which fits us and works to our benefit.”
Asgreen strains up with Alaphilippe, Merlier, Yves Lampaert, Gianni Moscon, Casper Pedersen and Bert van Lerberghe. He stated the Oude Kwaremont was a key part of the course the place numerous riders might reap the benefits of the scenario offered. He additionally stated that because the longest climb, it was the perfect place to assault.
“Many are already struggling there and close to the highest you can also make the distinction if in case you have the ability, even when it’s not that steep.”
Group supervisor Patrick Lefevere informed media on Friday he was optimistic to reverse a “damaging spiral” of the workforce within the Classics.
“Issues should not going nicely in the meanwhile, however the boys are doing their finest. We’re in a damaging spiral,” he informed HLN. “I all the time stay up for the Tour of Flanders. It is a dwelling sport. We maintain religion within the boys and also you by no means know what can occur.”
Asgreen confirmed that the workforce was motivated for a very good outcomes, and was not prepared to surrender with out a battle.
“We come to the beginning with a very good workforce and we now have to race as one and imagine in ourselves, as a result of as everybody is aware of, the Wolfpack by no means offers up. It’s a Monument, and one of many hardest races of the season for that matter, and something can occur.”
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