Tomorrow eight Lotto Soudal riders stand at the start of the nine-day race Tour de Suisse, a WorldTour race taking place from Saturday 13th June until Sunday 21st June.

The course is very selective. There are two time trial tests, starting with a prologue of 5.1 kilometres. The last stage is an individual time trial of 38.4 kilometres. The fifth stage is the longest, almost 240 kilometres. Two hors catégorie climbs are on the menu and the finish line is drawn on the Rettenbachferner. That will be an important day for the GC riders.

Mario Aerts talks about the ambitions of Lotto Soudal.

“Maxime Monfort and Jurgen Van den Broeck are our GC riders, we’re aiming for a top ten place. In the prologue the time gaps will be small, that will be a lot different in the time trial on the last day. Maxime and Jurgen can ride a good time trial, they proved that in the Giro. The finish on the Rettenbachferner on day five will change a lot to the classification, it’s a climb with an average gradient of ten per cent. Hopefully Maxime and Jurgen still have their Giro shape, so they can set a good result in Switzerland.

“Jürgen Roelandts , who has just become a father, definitely has a chance to win a stage. The fourth, sixth and seventh stage definitely suit him. Jürgen is our man for the sprints, with Jasper De Buyst and Kenny Dehaes in support. We won’t get any bunch sprints, the course is too selective for that.

“The course offers opportunities to escapees. Thomas De Gendt loves that. Also Sander Armée might join a breakaway. He won a race in Belgium last week, his first pro victory, that was after a solo ride of 20 kilometres. Sander proved his condition is good.

"Then we have Vegard Breen. The Tour of Norway was his first race after an elbow injury. He did well there. He will support the team’s leaders, but could attack as well. We have a strong team, hopefully we get results.”

Selection Lotto Soudal:

Sander Armée, Vegard Breen, Jasper De Buyst, Thomas De Gendt, Kenny Dehaes, Maxime Monfort, Jürgen Roelandts and Jurgen Van den Broeck.