Bradley Wiggins has made the Paris-Roubaix his first big target of the year and the Brit will get his first taste of the cobbles when he has been brought in to the Sky squad for the Ronde van Vlaanderen. In the absence of the injured Ian Stannard, the team will be led by in-form Geraint Thomas and Edvald Boasson Hagen while the team's decision to remove Sergio Henao from competition means that it will be less star-studded roster for the Vuelta al Pais Vasco.
Bradley Wiggins will head to the Tour of Flanders as part of a determined eight-man Team Sky squad.
The Brit will return to tackle ‘De Ronde’ (April 6) for the first time since 2005 and will add his horsepower to the team’s regular Spring Classics roster.
With podium finishes at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and E3 Harelbeke respectively this season, Edvald Boasson Hagen and Geraint Thomas will look to continue their momentum on the cobbles in the famous one-day Monument.
Experienced hands Bernhard Eisel, Christian Knees and Gabriel Rasch know what it takes to succeed in Flanders, while Salvatore Puccio and Luke Rowe are both enjoying strong campaigns to date.
One day after the dust has settled in Flanders, the Vuelta al Pais Vasco (April 7-12) gets underway in entirely different conditions.
The steep terrain of the Basque Country lends itself to the climbers, with Pete Kennaugh looking to continue his good form after his recent victory at Settimana Coppi e Bartali.
The Manxman will be joined by fellow stage winner in that race Ben Swift, with Philip Deignan, Josh Edmondson, Vasil Kiryienka, Mikel Nieve, Danny Pate and Xabier Zandio completing the line-up.
Nestled between the tests of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, the sprinter’s Classic Scheldeprijs (April 9) sees the team’s cobbled campaigners return for a final tune-up around Antwerp. Boasson Hagen, Eisel, Knees, Puccio, Rasch, Rowe and Chris Sutton are joined by Wiggins in the 102nd edition of the famous race.
11.11 - 17.11: Vuelta Ciclística al Ecuador |
Coen BOERMAN 48 years | today |
Emma JEFFERS 20 years | today |
Nelio Simoes SIMAO 45 years | today |
Cristian PEREZ 22 years | today |
Djorde NOVKOVIC 30 years | today |
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