Following a winless Spring Classics campaign Omega Pharma-Quick Step will be fielding a team of riders to cover all eventualities at the Tour of Romandie, which starts on Tuesday. The six-day Swiss race covers a variety of different terrains and offers opportunities for different types of riders, with something for the sprinters as well as the climbers and the time trialists.

"We have riders for each race situation," said directeur sportif Brian Holm. "There is a prologue and a final TT for Tony Martin, and then some mixed stages for the other guys; for example, a stage hunter like Gianni Meersman.”

“It's also a good preparation for the Giro d'Italia,” he added. “If there is a sprint, we have [Mark] Cavendish who is tuning up his condition for the Giro. We have a balanced team, so I think we can be protagonists throughout the race. That is our objective, but we will see each day."

Uncertainties linger, however. Cavendish has not participated in a race since (disappointingly) finishing second in the Scheldeprijs on April 3rd, Martin last raced to victory in the final, time trial stage of the Vuelta al País Vasco, while Meersman rode Amstel Gold Race but opted to miss out on both Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. Between them, the three OPQS riders share 13 victories this season and they will be looking to add to this tally after the Belgian team’s lack of success in the Spring Classics.

Omega Pharma-Quick Step line-up for the Tour de Romandie:
Gianluca Brambilla, Mark Cavendish, Bert Grabsch, Tony Martin, Gianni Meersman, Kristof Vandewalle, Peter Velits and Julien Vermote