Later this week Wanty-Groupe Gobert will make their debut at the World TTT Championships. Being up against all the WorldTour teams, the Belgians have realistic expectations for the collective battle against the clock.

On Sunday 21 September Wanty-Groupe Gobert takes part in the World Championships team time trial in Ponferrada, Spain. Sports directors  Thierry Marichal and Jean Marc Rossignon selected the following riders for the team: Thomas Degand, Francis de Greef, Frederik Veuchelen, Jan Ghyselinck, Tim de Troyer and Kévin Van Melsen.

It is the first time the Belgian procontinental team takes part in the world team time trial championships for trade teams that were first held in 2012 in Valkenburg, the Netherlands. 

“Our expectations for the team time trial are realistic,” sports director Thierry Marichal says. “We must not forget these are the world championships. We will do our maximum to do the team proud.”  

Last Tuesday the team trained at the military base in Ursel, Belgium.

“A team time trial is never an easy ride," De Greef said. "You can really hurt each other. We have been training here to closely keep each other’s wheel plus we trained the relays. Of course we are used to riding close on the other’s wheel in the peloton but here we focussed even more on that feeling of confidence you need in your teammates.” 

“This training session on the Ursel military airfield offered us the opportunity to mimic the actual race situation,” Marichal continues. “The goal of this training basically was to find the best possible cooperation within the team. We have really learned a lot here prior to the World Championships.” 

“De Troyer, Ghyselinck, Van Melsen, De Greef, Degand and Veuchelen were and are extremely motivated and focussed.  This team of six was created after deliberation with all the Wanty-Groupe Gobert sports directors and is based on their individual qualities as riders.”

The World Championships team time trial takes place on the 21st of September in Ponferrada, in the north-west of Spain. The parcours is 57,1 kilometres long and the first team leaves the start ramp at 2pm CET.