Etixx - Quick-Step will be busy racing over the weekend, with the Brussels Cycling Classic on Saturday, September 5th, and the GP de Fourmies / La Voix du Nord on Sunday, the 6th of September.

Brussels Cycling Classic, 200.8km in total distance, is one of the oldest races on the calendar. It was won recently by top sprinters of the peloton, including Tom Boonen in the 2012 season. However, there is plenty of undulation along the profile to make Brussels Cycling Classic selective.

"It's not an easy course, including the final," Sport Director Tom Steels said. "There are a few climbs similar to Brebantse Pijl, which makes the race harder. Also, when you arrive in Brussels, the roads are always up-and-down. So, it's a situation where you have to always stay focused.

"Brussels Cycling Classic usually ends with a small group deciding the winner. But of course there is still the possibility of attacks. The team will ride in support of Tom Boonen, who has always performed well here. So, if Tom will be OK in the final, the team will work for him.

"But there is also Julian Alaphilippe at the start. He is a smart guy who can enter into a few breakaways. Of course there are also riders present like the current UCI World Road Champion, Michal Kwiatkowski. Kwiatkowski comes back into competition after a period of recovery following Tour de Pologne and altitude training. We'll see what he can do at this race.

"This year's edition can also be conditioned by the weather. The forecast is not so good, so Brussels Cycling Classic might be even harder."

GP de Fourmies, 205km in distance, is a one-day competition with a mixed bag of past winners including sprint specialists and winners out of breakaways. Past editions demonstrated a demanding parcours, and a race that is hard to predict.

"GP de Fourmies is well organized, and perfect to prepare for Worlds and our upcoming races in Canada," Sport Director Wilfried Peeters said. "It's a race of more than 200 kilometers. It often results in the peloton reducing kilometer-by-kilometer, but the local circuit that is passed five times, with a climb and some small uphill sectors, can make the difference. It will be an open race as usual, with a lot of options. Fortunately we have a team that can handle all the circumstances that may arise. So, we go there to be protagonists."

Brussels Cycling Classic

Julian Alaphilippe (FRA)
Tom Boonen (BEL)
Michal Kwiatkowski (POL)
Yves Lampaert (BEL)
Fabio Sabatini (ITA)
Stijn Vandenbergh (BEL)
Julien Vermote (BEL)
Lukasz Wisniowski (POL)

GP de Fourmies

Julian Alaphilippe (FRA)
Tom Boonen (BEL)
Michal Kwiatkowski (POL)
Yves Lampaert (BEL)
Tony Martin (GER)
Gianni Meersman (BEL)
Fabio Sabatini (ITA)
Lukasz Wisniowski (POL)