Belkin will head into the next big WorldTour race, the GP Plouay, with three leaders. Bram Tankink, Lars Petter Nordhaug and Lars Boom will get the chance to excel on the hilly course in Bretagne.

The Belkin Pro Cycling TEAM will start Sunday’s Grand Prix Ouest France-Plouay with three leaders. Sports Director Frans Maassen has given Lars Boom, Bram Tankink and Lars Petter Nordhaug protected status in the French WorldTour race. 

“We face a world championship course which is very difficult,” said Maassen, who remembers that the Worlds took place in Plouay in 2000. 

“The course is so hard that in recent years everybody waited to go 100 per cent until very late. Everyone focused on the last two climbs. If the riders make it a hard race early on then it can be a battlefield. With Boom, Nordhaug and Tankink, we have three men who should be able to get far into the final.” 
 

Nordhaug remains cautious, but full of ambitions.

“I took it easy after the Arctic Race of Norway and treated my agitated knee. It feels fine now and my training rides are going well. I’ve never done Plouay before, but I’m looking forward to try something new with the team. We’ll help each other and we’ll see who has the best legs.” 

TEAM line-up:

Jetse Bol, Lars Boom, Jos van Emden, Rick Flens, Barry Markus, Lars Petter Nordhaug, Bram Tankink and Maarten Wynants.