The riders in the Giro can enjoy a second rest day. Lotto Belisol has already been active in this race. The team was represented in a long break four times and Tim Wellens battled in a select front group on Thursday and took the second place on the final climb to Montecassino. Maxime Monfort gradually climbed in the classification and is 14th at the moment at 3'41" of pink jersey Cadel Evans. Sports director Marc Wauters talks about the performances of the team and the future plans.

 

"The morale is very good in the team and the guys are very close. Everybody is very pugnacious. In yesterday's stage it was full gas the first hour, eventually Tosh Van der Sande got in a breakaway. Unfortunately the finish didn't really suit him. There are always many attempts before a front group is formed. Lars Bak, Adam Hansen and Dennis Vanendert  have tried several times, but they haven't been in the right break yet."

 

Maintain the tactic: attacking
"The team time trial in Belfast on day one wasn't a success. Of all teams we had to ride in the worst weather, in the rain. We lost many seconds in the corners. Not everybody was as strong. The bad result was a combination of those two factors. In the meantime the team has grown. Since then we have tried each day to attack and that was successful a few times. In the rest of this Giro we will maintain that tactic. The boys have the right spirit."

 

Wellens can learn
"We haven't won a stage yet, but the second place of Tim Wellens in the stage to Montecassino was very positive. It was a nice performance of such a young rider. The day after he had a set back, but that's normal at his age. Yesterday Tim tried to be in the break again, the final suited him. When that didn't happen he decided to save his strengths. He'll pick out some stages in the following weeks. For Tim this is the first Grand Tour, he's learning, it's all new for him."
 
Monfort on schedule
"Maxime Monfort has climbed one place yesterday and is fourteenth in GC now. He's on schedule. Maxime is an experienced rider and that will come in handy in the tough last week. He's got faith. Adam Hansen and Lars Bak helped Maxime to get back in a good position after his crash in the sixth stage, so he could control the damage. He lost twelve seconds on other GC riders. In the time trial on Thursday Maxime wants to take time back on the climbers. He can possibly gain time uphill as well."