The 55th edition of the Vuelta Ciclista al País Vasco, the Tour of the Basque Country, is just like the past years a WorldTour stage race suited for the climbers. From Monday 6th April until Saturday 11th April the peloton has to cover the Basque hills. Sports director Mario Aerts analyses the chances of the Lotto Soudal riders.
Mario Aerts, sports director: “We have several riders who can go for a good GC. A top ten spot is the goal. That won’t be easy, because the tradition goes that there are a lot of strong riders at the start. Bart De Clercq proved to be in shape last week in the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya. Maxime Monfort is our second guy for the overall standings. Also Louis Vervaeke could show himself. Tony Gallopin and Tim Wellens just came back from a training camp in Tenerife. So it will be awaiting how they recover from the first stages. But they can both choose a stage to shine. The same goes for Jelle Vanendert. This stage race is the ideal preparation for the Ardennes classics, in which they will compete.”
“Tosh Van der Sande has a chance in the second stage to Vitoria. He gained a lot of confidence because of his bunch sprint win for the fourth place in the opening stage in Catalunya. Dennis Vanendert could go for an attack, and maybe the attack could last until the finish line. We will see day by day how we handle the race. The overall standings will play a role in this choice.”
Hard stage race
“The Vuelta Ciclista al País Vasco is the hardest one-week stage race there is. I’ve experienced it myself as a rider (as a rider Mario participated ten times, LTS). The tempo is fast and the climbs come in a rapid succession. The same hills come back each year, sometimes in a different order, but the race directors add new climbs each edition. There are plenty of climbs in this region. The second stage, to Vitoria, normally is the least hard stage where a group of eighty to ninety riders arrives at the finish together. Now extra climbs are added. For the GC riders all stages are worth paying extra attention.”
For Jelle Vanendert the Vuelta al País Vasco is the last preparation for the Ardennes classics. How does he try to peak in that period?
Jelle Vanendert: “The Vuelta al País Vasco is the last straight line towards the Ardennes classics. Like Mario Aerts said, this is a hard race. I’ve never set a really strong performance in this race. This is because I train a lot in the period towards the Ardennes triptych. If I have a chance to score I will take it, but the main goal is to prepare myself for the Amstel Gold Race, Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.”
Peak in the Ardennes classics
“Until now, the season was very good for me. Except my crash in the Ruta del Sol, my preparation towards the classics was good. I’ve completed all my scheduled trainings, except this week I had to adjust my training scheme because of the bad weather. I shortened my road training, and trained more on the rollers. I’m someone who can peak to certain races. It’s not easy to explain how I succeed in it. First of all I make sure I have a good basic shape and I build further on that with intensive trainings and races. Often, riders try to be good just with training. I train a lot to improve my basic shape and try to grow stronger in races, like next week in the Vuelta Ciclista al País Vasco.”
“It’s never a guarantee for success, but I feel good two weeks before the Amstel. The Amstel, Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège suit me all three. In the Amstel I was two times second (in 2012 and 2014, LTS). On the Cauberg you can really make differences. This remains the case even as the finish line is drawn several hectometres further. I’ve got a small preference for La Doyenne, but I would be very happy to win one of these three races in my career.”
Selection Lotto Soudal: Bart De Clercq, Tony Gallopin, Maxime Monfort, Tosh Van der Sande, Dennis Vanendert, Jelle Vanendert, Louis Vervaeke and Tim Wellens.
Sports directors: Mario Aerts and Kurt Van de Wouwer.
Mario Aerts racing
