CyclingQuotes.com Lotto Belisol and Monfort target top 10 at the Giro

Lotto Belisol have won a stage at the Giro d'Italia five years in a row and a victory is again one of their primary targets in this year's edition of the Italian grand tour. Tim Wellens, Adam Hansen, Lars Bak and Tosh van der Sande will look for success from a breakaway while Kenny Dehaes will focus on the sprints and Maxime Monfort target a top 10 on GC.

The Lotto Belisol selection for the upcoming Giro d’Italia, which starts on Friday 9th of May in Belfast, is ready. These nine riders will defend the team colours: Sander Armée, Lars Bak, Kenny Dehaes, Gert Dockx, Adam Hansen, Maxime Monfort, Tosh Van der Sande, Dennis Vanendert and Tim Wellens.

Sports director Bart Leysen talks about the selection, the goals of the teams and gives his opinion of the course.

“A stage win is the main goal of the team," he said. "The past five years we were always able to take a victory. With Maxime Monfort we hope to get a top ten in GC. Of course he could also win a stage.

"The first individual time trial of 41.9 kilometers suits Maxime. In the climb time trial on the last Friday the GC men will come to the front anyway. The Giro will be decided in the final week, in the first two weeks we have to see that Maxime doesn’t lose any time.

"For the team time trial on day one we definitely have the riders to end up in top ten. If we succeed in that, the Giro will have started well for us.

“Kenny Dehaes is our man for the flat stages. Tim Wellens gets a free role. He shouldn’t think about the GC, just try to join breakaways. Lars Bak, Adam Hansen and Tosh Van der Sande can also let a break come to a good end.

"It’s the job of Gert Dockx and Dennis Vanendert to help prepare the bunch sprints. Next to that they can also protect Maxime. Sander Armée has to stay with Monfort as long as possible in the mountains.

“On paper the first two Giro weeks are less tough than the past years. The final week is as hard as ever. According to me the stage to Val Martello, which goes over the Gavia and Stelvio, and the stage to Oropa are the most crucial stages. The last one has a climb to the finish with an average gradient of 11 per cent.

"The long transfers between the stages made the previous editions of the Giro extra tough. This year that’s less the case. The organization has listened to the worries of the teams.”

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