Stölting have announced their line-up for the 4 Jours de Dunkerque.

Contrary to their name, the 4 Jours de Dunkerque (2.HC) in the north of France last five days. This prestigious French race is decided by wind, cobbles, and short, steep climbs – in a way it's an echo of the Belgian classics season.

Stage 1 starts in Dunkerque and finishes in Gravelines after 191.4 km. In between the riders have to climb the Cap Blanc-Nez overlooking The Channel three times, and the last 100 km along the coast are prone to wind and echelons. Stage 2, 188.3 km around Aniche, is further inland – instead of wind, it offers three pavé sectors from Paris-Roubaix with a total of 6.6 km of cobbles and three laps of a finishing circuit with an uphill finishing straight.

Stage 3 from Béthune to Saint-Pol-sur-Ternoise is a 174 km up-and-down; again the final kilometre is rising slightly. The queen stage is stage 4. The finish in Cassel is reached only 46.8 km after the start in Audruicq – however, the main difficulty are nine laps of a 14.6 km circuit with two strength-sapping climbs, one of them cobbled. The final stage, 159.7 km from Hondschoote to Dunkerque, finishes with ten laps in Dunkerque and is likely to end in a sprint.

Team Stölting Service Group wanted to back Gerald Ciolek for the 4 Jours, but the German is still suffering from illness and had to cancel his participation. Therefore only seven riders will take the start: Linus Gerdemann (GER) and Michael Reihs (DEN) provide valuable experience and are joined by Thomas Koep (GER), Lasse Norman Hansen (DEN), Rasmus Quaade (DEN), Sven Reutter (GER), and Jonas Tenbrock (GER) – five strong rouleurs who can hold their own in races like this.

Sports Director Jochen Hahn (GER) says: “Gerald still isn't fit unfortunately; we'll decide on our new leader in the course of the race. The wind can always play a role, but stage 4 in particular will decide the overall.”

RIDERS
Linus Gerdemann (GER)
Thomas Koep (GER)
Lasse Norman Hansen (DEN)
Rasmus Quaade (DEN)
Michael Reihs (DEN)
Sven Reutter (GER)
Jonas Tenbrock (GER)