Team NetApp-Endura's classics roster has had great succes recently, with Scott Thwaites taking two podium places in Belgium and the Netherlands. The team hopes to carry this momentum into this week's pair of Belgian one-day races, Nokere Koere and Handzame Classic.

 

After Team NetApp-Endura’s successful trip to the Netherlands, the classic riders will continue tomorrow with the 69th running of the Nokere Koerse, followed by the Handzame Classic in Belgium on Friday.

 

After last year’s Nokere Koerse was cancelled due to adverse weather conditions, this year the race is set to take place as planned. The 200-km race will begin in Ronse, after which the peloton must complete an 80-km loop through the province of East Flanders before reaching the final lap in Nokere, which must be circuited eight times. 

 

Although the first 80 kilometers of the race include several minor climbs and cobblestone sections, the race is usually decided on the eight circuits around the 15-km final lap. The final lap not only has a very wind-prone section, but also features the cobblestoned Nokereberg climb with an average incline of 6%, which is also where the race ends.

 

Two days later the team will head to its next one-day race, the Handzame Classic. Starting in Bredene and ending in Handzame, the profile of the 198-km course is ideal for sprinters.Roughly a third of the course runs along the coast of the North Sea, where wind can have a major impact. The route then continues inland and back towards the starting line. Before reaching the finish line, the riders must complete three 16-km final laps.

 

After finishing on the podium twice in its most recent races, Team NetApp-Endura is optimistic heading into these races. 

 

“The outcome of both races will greatly depend on the wind and the weather. The topography isn’t that difficult. Both races can be categorized as moderately difficult and usually end in a mass or a group sprint. We will adapt our tactics accordingly. We have a good lineup of cyclists who are in good form and are well suited for these types of races. They have demonstrated this over the past few weeks. We still have to decide who we will be focusing on in our strategy. Riders such as Scott Thwaites, who came in fifth last year, Blaz Jarc, Daniel Schorn and Jan Barta are certainly good options,” said a confident André Schulze.

 

NetApp-Endura for Nokere Koerse and Handzame Classic

Daniel Schorn, Blaz Jarc, Scott Thwaites, Jan Barta, Michael Schwarzmann, Jonathan McEvoy, Kilian Padour, and Ralf Matzka