On the program for Team Giant-Alpecin this week is the Abu Dhabi Tour, taking place Thursday through Sunday. It will be the team's second participation in this race organized by RCS, the race organizer of the Giro d’Italia, and Velon, the joint business venture of 11 UCI WorldTour cycling teams. The road race covers a total distance of 555km with the first two stages dedicated to sprinters. Stage three is a day for the climbers, which will be decisive for the overall victory. The final stage is on the Formula 1 Yas Marina Circuit and a fast finish can be expected.
 
"We are all looking forward to a great race and it is going to be a fantastic contest, especially after the successful first edition," said coach Mattias Reck (SWE). "It will certainly be a very competitive race given the strong field and it will be important to stay hydrated in these challenging circumstances. 
 
"The objective for us is to go for stage results with John [Degenkolb] and he is showing some good form at the moment after his victory at Sparkassen Münsterland Giro. We have strong lead-out capabilities with Koen [De Kort], Ramon [Sinkeldam] and Zico [Waeytens], who will support him as much as possible in the finale. On paper the sprint preparation will be even more important on the closing stage and it would be extra special for the team to finish the season on a high note."

Team Giant-Alpecin heads to China for the 11th edition of the Tour of Hainan, which begins this Saturday. The Chinese race features nine stages on a variety of terrain, with distances ranging from 88.3km to 230.2km. This will be the last race of the season for the men's team before they head off for a well-deserved break.
 
Coach Arthur van Dongen (NED) said: "The main goal is to go for stage results in China. For the flat stages we will prepare the sprints for Max [Walscheid] and we will aim for podium finishes. On top of that, we will explore the opportunities in the general classification with Fredrik [Ludvigsson] and Jochem [Hoekstra].
 
"Finally it is the last competitive race for Cheng [Ji] and it will be a very special race for him and the team in his home country."

Abu Dhabi Tour (2.HC)

John Degenkolb (GER)
Koen de Kort (NED)
Tobias Ludvigsson (SWE)
Ramon Sinkeldam (NED)
Zico Waeytens (BEL)
Martijn Tusveld (NED)

Tour of Hainan (2.HC)

Bert De Backer (BEL)

Johannes Fröhlinger (GER)
Jochem Hoekstra (NED)
Cheng Ji (CHN)
Fredrik Ludvigsson (SWE)
Tom Stamsnijder (NED)
Max Walscheid (GER)