This year’s Tour de France provided Lotto-Belisol with mixed emotions, as they were the only team who stripped Vincenzo Nibali (Astana) off the yellow jersey after he had claimed it on a second day of competition, but failed to make an anticipated impact on the general classification. While Belgian team manager Marc Sergeant insists that it’s too soon to name a squad for the 102nd edition of la Grande Boucle, he doesn’t rule out that Jurgen Van den Broeck will be given another chance despite not living up to their expectations this season.

Surprisingly tough 2015 Tour de France route, tailor made for climbers, will provide aggressive puncheurs and Ardennes specialists with many opportunities to shine from the first week of competition. Thus, after his short stint in the yellow jersey this year, Tony Gallopin is eager to return to the greatest of three-week events and expects a very hectic first nine days of competition.

“The first nine days of the Tour 2015 are very tricky and can offer lots of spectacle. The wind could play a crucial role in the second stage through Zeeland and in the sixth stage to Le Havre. Just like last year there’s a cobblestone stage and there are several opportunities for punchers. The stages to Huy, Mûr de Bretagne and Mende suit me. After the first rest day there’s lots of climbing to do, it will be a very tough Tour,” Gallopin said.

“We should definitely be able to be successful with the team. The past edition I won a stage and wore yellow one day, on the French national holiday. This was the first time I was live at the Tour presentation. When I saw the images of my stage win and myself in the yellow jersey it gave me goosebumps, especially with the music and the impressive Palais des Congrès as location.”

Despite being openly disappointed with Van den Broeck’s performances in this year’s Tour de France and the Vuelta, Sergeant doesn’t rule out a possibility of giving the Belgian rider yet another chance to prove himself as a squad leader in July.

As the route seems to be tailor made for attackers, Lotto-Belisol also wants to bring young Tim Wellens to the French three-week event after he did exceptionally well in his Grand Tour debut in the Giro this season.

“Especially the fact that there are so few time trial kilometres is remarkable. That’s really different compared to the previous editions. There are stages for sprinters, punchers and climbers. I see four to six sprint opportunities, which doesn’t mean that it will each time be a peloton of 180 riders that goes to the finish line. It can also be a sprint of fifty. The sprint teams will have to make the race as well. The stages in the Pyrenees are tough, but I expect the last week in the Alps will be decisive.  There will be a battle until the last Saturday,” Marc Sergeant said.

 
“It’s more than eight months before the Tour start, so it’s too soon to talk about selections. No decision has been made yet. It’s an option that Jurgen Van den Broeck rides the Tour, but it’s too early to speculate about that. It’s a realistic option that Tim Wellens will make his Tour début, but that will be without GC ambitions, like in this year’s Giro. There are lots of opportunities for attackers in the Tour of 2015, that should definitely suit Tim.”