This weekend, Intermarché-Wanty-Gobert Matériaux is sending seven riders to the Veenendaal-Veenendaal Classic (1.1) on Saturday and the Antwerp Port Epic (1.1) on Sunday.
On Saturday, the Dutch classic in Veenendaal will be held for the first time since 2019. The riders have to cover 198 kilometer in the neighborhood of the city in Utrecht, divided in five laps containing two short hills.
A completely different course is waiting the next day around the port of Antwerp. After 55 kilometer through the Antwerpse Polder, two and a half laps with 35 kilometer of unpaved roads and 28 kilometer of cobble sections have to be covered. The entirely flat course did not change compared to the previous edition, in which Taco van der Hoorn sprinted for the victory with Mathieu van der Poel after 183 kilometer.
Belgian rider Gerben Thijssen, who recently took his first pro win in the Dunkirk Four Day, will be accompanied by his lead out Boy van Poppel, Tom Devriendt, Andrea Pasqualon, Adrien Petit and Corné van Kessel. On Saturday, Julius Johansen is the seventh rider in the selection, with Dimitri Claeys completing the roster on Sunday.
« After my first professional victory in the Dunkirk Four Day, I participated in two kermesse races with my teammates from my sprint train. It was a perfect preparation for this weekend. We have a particularly experienced and strong line up. On Saturday, the Veenendaal Classic contains several hills and we’re ready for all scenarios, for both an open race or bunch sprint. » « Rain is expected and that would influence the race. Personally, I hope that I’ll get the opportunity to sprint against some big names. Andrea Pasqualon and Adrien Petit join my sprint train this weekend. As a sprinter you can’t wish for a better support. The experience of my teammates is invaluable, especially the support of my personal lead out Boy van Poppel. His advice is precious for my development and he plays a role in all of my good performances. On Sunday, the Antwerp Port Epic is a perfect opportunity to return my teammates a favor! »
Gerben Thijssen Tweet