Team LottoNL-Jumbo aims for stage victory with Dylan Groenewegen in the Amgen Tour of California. The sprinter can count on the main guns in his sprint train in the United States. George Bennett will also have the chance to go for the general classification.

“The sprint train is an important target for us during the Tour of California,” Sports Director Frans Maassen said. “There are only a few chances for bunch sprints in this stage race, though. The first stage might end up in a bunch kick, but only the final stage will end up in a sprint for sure. We want to win that one with Dylan Groenewegen. It’s also important that the important riders in our sprinting project ride together often. They will be this week. Besides that, George Bennett gets the chance to go for the general classification. This race is a nice opportunity for him to show what he’s capable of.”

Lead-out

Groenewegen knows that he has to climb often during the Tour of California. “It’s about surviving as much as possible and finding out if I’m able to maintain my spot in the peloton,” he said. “It would be nice if the first stage ends up in a bunch sprint. There’s quite a long climb in it, though, so it depends on the way the other teams approach the race. The final stage is totally flat. It’s our goal to build a good lead out there and it’s my task to finish it off afterwards.”

Line-up:

George Bennett, Dylan Groenewegen, Timo Roosen, Mike Teunissen, Alexey Vermeulen, Robert Wagner, Dennis van Winden and Maarten Wynants.

Sports Director:

Frans Maassen.