Lotto Soudal have announced their line-up for Brussels Cycling Classic.

On Saturday September 3, the Brussels Cycling Classic takes place in and around Brussels. The riders start in the Jubelpark in the morning and arrive later in the day back in Brussels at the King Baudouin Stadium at the Heysel.

During 198.1 kilometres, the peloton rides through the hilly region of Flemish and Walloon Brabant. There are thirteen climbs. Some of them are steeper than others, but the fast succession of the climbs makes the race hard. The slightly uphill finish is located at the Heysel. The last thirty kilometres are flat which makes a sprint very likely. 

Tiesj Benoot is back in the game after his food poisoning and he’s looking forward to the last races of the season.

“I was ill before Plouay and that kind of changed the schedule for this month. In the end, the race went better than I expected. I had a flat tyre just when the finale started, so I needed to chase down the first group for a long time. While doing that, I was also held up by a crash. In the end I got back in the small group in front, so my condition must be pretty good if I am able to do that after such a big effort.

“Before the Brussels Cycling Classic I’m doing two more big training rides and then I should be ready. I have never raced there before and I don’t know the course. The previous editions ended in a sprint. Personally, I hope for a different scenario and if the team allows it, I would like to make it a hard race. If it turns out to be a sprint we can still count on Kris Boeckmans and Jürgen Roelandts. I’m not going to do a recon of the course but I’ll study it and do some more training sessions at home.

“I consider the Brussels Cycling Classic to be a preparation for the races in Canada and the European Championship because those races are my priorities now. I didn’t really plan to go to the European Championship and I wasn’t prepared for it. I just got back on the bike after being sick for a while and the course in Nice would have been too hard for me. However, now that they’ve changed the course, it should suit me better. I already talked to Tony Gallopin, who knows the region, and he said it’s going to be a hard race but it should suit me. I just hope that I’ll be fit by then, but Plouay gave me confidence that I’m doing well. Anyway, with Gilbert and Meersman we have a strong team at the start and we should be able to win the race. After that I’m still going to Canada. Those races are my main goal for the end of the season. Let’s just hope that I’m as fit as I was last year!”

Line-up:

Tiesj Benoot, Kris Boeckmans, Jasper De Buyst, Michael Goolaerts, Pim Ligthart, Jürgen Roelandts, James Callum Shaw and Jelle Vanendert.