LottoNL-Jumbo takes experienced and young riders to Milano-Sanremo
Team LottoNL-Jumbo will start Milano-Sanremo, the first monument of 2015, with targets: seek out opportunities and provide its youngsters a chance to learn.
“We don’t have favourites, but with Moreno Hofland, Bert-Jan Lindeman and Paul Martens, we have three riders who should be able to compete with the best,” said Sports Director Erik Dekker. “For Moreno and Bert-Jan, it will be the first time that they participate in this classic. That’s why we will make an extended reconnaissance on Thursday. We will try to focus on the future with them. In training, it’s always easier to explore a race than it is in the race itself. You look at it in a very different way. That can be useful for the young guys.”
Super compensation
Hofland puts Milano-Sanremo on top of his list. He hopes that he can return at his normal level after a small setback. “I didn’t start Paris-Nice in form,” he explained. “I improved during that race, but after the fifth stage, I didn’t have anything left at all. I think it was a good decision to go home after that day. I feel that I recovered a little better afterwards and those extra days off feel like a super compensation. I hope that I’m good enough to cross the Poggio with the first group. I will talk with Paul Martens a lot about that. He is an experienced rider, who has competed in the front in Milano-Sanremo in the last years. He can help me.”
Enforce
“They predict good weather for this weekend,” Dekker added. “That will help this edition of Milano-Sanremo to be a traditional one. I think that a group of 50 to 100 riders will arrive at the foot of the Poggio. We have to try to be there, too. Moreno is able to play a big role in this race in the future. He can try to do that already this year. If there are chances for us this year, we surely want to take them. The only way we can enforce that is to bring Moreno, Bert-Jan and Paul in a good position for the final.”
Team Line-up:
Rick Flens, Moreno Hofland, Tom Leezer, Bert-Jan Lindeman, Paul Martens, Bram Tankink, Maarten Tjallingii & Robert Wagner.
Sports Director:
Erik Dekker.
“We don’t have favourites, but with Moreno Hofland, Bert-Jan Lindeman and Paul Martens, we have three riders who should be able to compete with the best,” said Sports Director Erik Dekker. “For Moreno and Bert-Jan, it will be the first time that they participate in this classic. That’s why we will make an extended reconnaissance on Thursday. We will try to focus on the future with them. In training, it’s always easier to explore a race than it is in the race itself. You look at it in a very different way. That can be useful for the young guys.”
Super compensation
Hofland puts Milano-Sanremo on top of his list. He hopes that he can return at his normal level after a small setback. “I didn’t start Paris-Nice in form,” he explained. “I improved during that race, but after the fifth stage, I didn’t have anything left at all. I think it was a good decision to go home after that day. I feel that I recovered a little better afterwards and those extra days off feel like a super compensation. I hope that I’m good enough to cross the Poggio with the first group. I will talk with Paul Martens a lot about that. He is an experienced rider, who has competed in the front in Milano-Sanremo in the last years. He can help me.”
Enforce
“They predict good weather for this weekend,” Dekker added. “That will help this edition of Milano-Sanremo to be a traditional one. I think that a group of 50 to 100 riders will arrive at the foot of the Poggio. We have to try to be there, too. Moreno is able to play a big role in this race in the future. He can try to do that already this year. If there are chances for us this year, we surely want to take them. The only way we can enforce that is to bring Moreno, Bert-Jan and Paul in a good position for the final.”
Team Line-up:
Rick Flens, Moreno Hofland, Tom Leezer, Bert-Jan Lindeman, Paul Martens, Bram Tankink, Maarten Tjallingii & Robert Wagner.
Sports Director:
Erik Dekker.
