Jurgen Van den Broeck and Lotto-Soudal manager Marc Sergeant revealed their ambitions concerning upcoming Giro d'Italia edition, as they travelled to Sanremo on Friday morning. Visibly relaxed after being reseased from the perennial Tour de France contender role, the 32-year old Belgian cautiously set finishing the Italian grand tour inside top 10 as his main objective.

It was team's decision to change Van den Broeck's race schedule and allow him to return to his roots, participating in the Giro d'Italia and very likely Vuelta a Espana instead of targeting the Tour this year. Even though the 32-year Belgian was openly disappointed at first and considered it as a punishment after he'd failed to live up to Lotto-Soudal expectations last season, now he appears to pleased with those changes.

„I'm happy to do the Giro again. I've always liked riding it and I've always been saying that I wanted to return to the Giro one more time,” Van den Broeck told Sporza.

The Lotto-Soudal rider was rather anonymous during the Tour de Romandie mountain stages, but his unexpectedly good performance in the final individual time trial suggested that his form might be exactly where it should.

„I'm coming here with good sensations. Tour de Romandie was a confirmation of those positive feelings, even though I've surprised myself with my performance in the final time trial.”

„If you are able to go all out in the time trial, it basically proves that your condition is good. I was feeling better and better every day and I believe I'm where I should be at the moment.”

„I still have been short of form in the mountains [in Romandie], but I'm not worried about it. It's typical for the Giro contenders to be a little bit behind one race before the event. I've been doing it this way before and I know that I'm ready.”

Van den Broeck admitted that being released from the pressure of being the Tour de France contender might have possitively affected his consition. He also confirmed that finishing the Giro d'Italia inside the top 10 will be his ultimate goal, but he's going to adjust his goals as the race will unfold.

„There is less media attention [in the Giro] than during the Tour, you're more at ease. I'm aiming for a place inside the top 10. Behind the top favorites like Contador, Aru and Porte, anything is possible. I want to follow the best riders and we'll see what's going to happen. Perhaps I will be able to turn a rivalry between the top riders to my advantage and take a stage victory.”

The Lotto-Soudal manager, Marc Sergeant, also was pleased with 32-year old Belgian's performance in Romandie and suggested that his return to the Tour is not impossible.

„I think that Jurgen had very good preparations. With his fourth place in the Tour de Romandie time trial, which is not really his thing, he has shown that he is ready for it. I also said that in few years he could return to the Tour. Let's wait and see,” Sergeant concluded.