Ab 8-man CCC roster will take on Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite (1.HC), which will be held on February 27th. A slightly modified squad will participate in another Belgian one-day event, Le Samyn (2.03, 1.1). It will take place few days later.
"The 100th edition of Ronde van Vlaanderen is ahead of us and we have to be well prepared. We need to get used to racing in Flanders, on specific Belgian roads. Experience in such races is crucial to do well on the cobbles," Piotr Wadecki, sporting director of CCC Sprandi Polkowice, said.
"In Omloop Het Nieuwsblad we are only lining up riders who are good in flat or undulating terrain. Jarosław Marycz, who has raced twice in Ronde van Vlaanderen in his career, made the roster, alongside Adrian Kurek, Tomasz Kiendyś, Bartłomiej Matysiak and Grzegorz Stępniak, who had a chance to work on their form on windy stages in the Arabic races. Maciej Paterski who is strong on short hills, will be the leader of the team."
The squad will be completed by Josef Cerny and Eryk Latoń. The latter has already finished in the top 10 this season, as he took 9th in Clasica de Almeria.
The roster for Le Samyn will be slightly modified, as Łukasz Owsian, who is showcasing good form early in the season, will replace Paterski.
Omloop Het Nieuwsblad opens the Belgian season of one-day races. It starts and ends in Gent, in East Flanders and the riders cover a distance of around 200 kilometers. It features number of short cobbled hills and a slightly uphill finish.
In the previous years the race would usually end with a small group arriving at the line and the peloton getting shredded. The riders in orange have competed in the last two editions and in one of them Paterski made the breakaway of the day.
The road in Le Samyn also is paved with cobbles in some parts and is also 200-kilometers long. Last year the organizers added a cobblestone section with 3 kilometers to go on the circuit in Dour, and because of that a sprint from a small group or a solo move in the end is expected.
Lineup of CCC Sprandi Polkowice to Omloop Het Nieuwsblad Elite (27.02, 1.HC):
Maciej Paterski, Jarosław Marycz, Josef Cerny, Adrian Kurek, Tomasz Kiendyś, Grzegorz Stępniak, Bartłomiej Matysiak, Eryk Latoń.
Lineup of CCC Sprandi Polkowice to Le Samyn (3.03, 1.1):
Łukasz Owsian, Jarosław Marycz, Josef Cerny, Adrian Kurek, Tomasz Kiendyś, Grzegorz Stępniak, Bartłomiej Matysiak, Eryk Latoń.
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