Stölting have announced their line-ups for GP de Wallonie, Kampioenscharp van Vlaanderen, Primus Classic Impanis-Van Petegem and GP d'Isbergues.
Wednesday sees the team in action at the GP de Wallonie (1.1), starting in Beaufays, part of the municipality of Chaudfontaine south of Liège, and finishing in Namur after 205.5 km.
There are three categorised climbs in the first 60 km, after which that the profile becomes a little flatter. The final then starts with 45 km to go and offers four ascents, finishing with the two-kilometre climb to the finish at the citadel of Namur overlooking the Meuse river.
Team Stölting Service Group fields seven riders: Danes Rasmus Guldhammer and Michael Reihs are joined by the German riders Moritz Backofen, Thomas Koep, Christian Mager, Sven Reutter, and Fabian Wegmann.
Sports Director Jochen Hahn (GER) says: “The GP de Wallonie will be the hardest race of the week with several climbs and the final in Namur. Christian Mager is in good shape, and Rasmus Guldhammer or Fabian Wegmann could also get a result here.”
Part of the cycling calendar since 1908, the 101st edition of the Kampioenschap van Vlaanderen (1.1) is held in Koolskamp on Friday.
The race consists of 16 laps of a flat 12.3 km circuit, for a total race distance of 192.4 km since part of the first lap is neutralised. There is a 650 metre cobblestone section on the circuit that could split the field especially in bad weather, while a sprint is the most likely outcome in good conditions.
Michael Carbel (DEN) and stagiaire Willi Willwohl (GER) are the team's sprinters in the line-up for Koolskamp. They will be supported by Thomas Koep (GER), Mads Pedersen (DEN), Michael Reihs (DEN), Sven Reutter (GER), Jonas Tenbrock (GER) and another stagiaire, Alexander Weifenbach (GER).
Jochen Hahn (GER) is the Sports Director for the race. He comments: “There is a cobblestone section on the circuit, but I don't think that it will decide the race and expect a sprint finish. We have two fast sprinters in Michael Carbel and Willi Willwohl; provided they make it to the final, they will get their chance here and in the coming days.”
The Primus Classic Impanis - van Petegem (1.HC) has been held since 2011 in memory of Raymond Impanis and in honour of Peter van Petegem. Impanis and van Petegem were strong classics riders and are both part of an exclusive club who have won both the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix in the same season.
The race starts in van Petegem's hometown, Brakel, that also hosts the Tenbosse, the first of a total of 15 hills. The riders will then head southeast into Brabant Wallon and before finally turning north. The last climb 22.4 km from the finish in Haacht/Boortmeerbeek could provide a launchpad for late attacks.
Team Stölting Service Group brings a young squad composed of Michael Carbel (DEN), Thomas Koep (GER), Christian Mager (GER), Mads Pedersen (DEN), Sven Reutter (GER), Jonas Tenbrock (GER), and Willi Willwohl (GER), completed with the experienced Michael Reihs (DEN).
Sports Director Jochen Hahn (GER) says: “Saturday will probably be a race for the sprinters again. We will see which of our sprinters is feeling the best during the race and support him in the final.”
The last one-day race of the week is held in Northern France – the GP d'Isbergues - Pas de Calais (1.1) covering 204.3 km. Starting and finishing in the small town of Isbergues, northwest of Lens, the race consists of a big loop through the countryside that includes nine climbs, followed by five laps of a 6.9 km finishing circuit.
Team Stölting Service Group lines up in Isbergues with Michael Carbel (DEN), Alexander Kamp (DEN), Christian Mager (GER), Mads Pedersen (DEN), Michael Reihs (DEN), Sven Reutter (GER), Jonas Tenbrock (GER), and Fabian Wegmann (GER).
“This race in Northern France is a bit more hilly than the previous ones,” says Sports Director Jochen Hahn (GER). “We have some good cards to play in a hard race like this with Christian Mager, Mads Pedersen, and Fabian Wegmann, and then there's Michael Carbel if we're still together for a sprint.”
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