The Tour de Eurometropol will be the penultimate stage race MTN-Qhubeka will take part in this year with the tour getting underway on Wednesday. The UCI 2.1 Belgian tour will conclude on Sunday after 5 stages of exciting racing.

The Eurometropol is a tour that really suits the fast men as three of the stages are tailor made for a bunch gallop in terms of the parcours. The race gets underway with a 7.7km prologue in Mont Saint-Aubert. We then have the first road stage of 167km to La Louviere which is also the first chance for the sprinters. The 2nd stage is where the opportunists will have a chance to attack over the hills on the way to Poperinge. The final two stages again, both look good for the sprinters on paper.

MTN-Qhubeka p/b Samsung will send a strong sprint squad to contest for stage wins. Gerald Ciolek, Theo Bos, Matt Goss, Andy Stauff, Jay Thomson, Nic Dougall, Jayde Julius and Serge Pauwels make up the complete roster. Bos has fond memories from the Eurometropol as just last year he finished 3rd overall after also picking up a stage win. Pauwels will also be motivated to show his hand in this, his home race.

"The Eurometropole is a home race for me. I know most of the roads and although most of the stages are flat, the stage to Properinge will be more challenging. On Saturday we will pass close to my home which is always special. The weather is meant to be good all week so I am looking forward to this race," he said.