CyclingQuotes.com Greipel and Lotto lead-out in search of wins in Luxembourg

After weeks of lead-out training, André Greipel and the famous Lotto Belisol train have had a successful return to competition as the German sprinter won a stage in both the World Ports Classic and the Tour of Belgium. The team will be targeting more wins in this week's Tour of Luxembourg in which Greg Henderson will again play his usual role as the final rider ahead of Greipel in the train.

The next race on the programme for Lotto Belisol is the Tour de Luxembourg, which is part of the Europe Tour. The five-day stage race starts on Wednesday with an evening prologue of 2.55 kilometers in Luxembourg city. Afterwards there are four road stages.

André Greipel will continue his preparation for the Tour de France there. He can rely amongst other on Greg Henderson. Last winter Henderseon underwent knee surgery, the same knee got infected later in the Three Days of West-Flanders. The new-Zealander talks about the knee trouble and his work in the sprint train.

“It took a while before the problem with my knee got diagnosed," he said. "Eventually it was a very quick and simple operation. I was back up and running within ten days afterwards. Next my knee got infected in the Three Days of West-Flanders. I got under the knife again. The wound was cleaned and it’s healed nicely now.

"Mentally it was difficult. You see your teammates racing and getting results that you’re normally part of. Unfortunately injuries are part of the business when you are a cyclist. It’s important to have a good support group around you like doctors, family, a wife. That are positive influences on your life and those make it a lot easier to come back.

"In the Tour of Turkey I performed back on a really good level. In the Belgium Tour I was sprinting very well and I’m good on the hills. At the moment I’m feeling really well.

“When there’s a headwind, like was the case in Antwerp [in the World Ports Classic], it’s always very hard to get the timing of the lead-out correct. We nailed it in that first stage anyway and that was quite satisfying. Sieberg, Roelandts, Greipel and me, we’ve proven to be a good combination during the last couple of years. It felt good to be back.

"The next day it was a very technical and dangerous finish. I heard noise behind me and saw that André Greipel could just avoid a collision with a parked car and wouldn’t be coming back. I stayed near the front and was quite happy to become third. If André would have been on my wheel it would have been another victory for sure.

"But luckily he wasn’t hurt. That’s the most important thing with the Tour de France just around the corner.

“It’s nice to have everybody together in these weeks before the Tour and to build the team membership that you need for going into battle. A battle, that’s what it feels like in the big races. It’s also good of course to have some sprints and to have some hills, like in the Tour of Belgium.

"As a lead-out man you’ve got to be relaxed under pressure. It’s my job to bring André Greipel as fresh as he possible can to the last 200 meters. That’s the key: keeping an eye on the guys in front of you, but also on the man you’re taking to the last 200 meters. If we do our thing on the right place on the right time, there’s not too many people that can match us.”

Selection Lotto Belisol: Vegard Breen, Sean De Bie, Jens Debusschere, André Greipel, Greg Henderson, Marcel Sieberg, Boris Vallée and Jelle Vanendert.

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