CYCLING – TEAM Bahrain Victorious head to Belgium and northern France this week for two races on the northern European calendar, namely the Nokere Koerse today and the Grand Prix de Denain tomorrow.
The team will first line up at Nokere Koerse in Belgium, one of the traditional midweek races of the Flemish spring calendar. Action starts in Deinze and finishes in Nokere after more than 180 kilometres of racing, with narrow roads, several cobbled sectors, and finishing circuits before the final uphill cobbled sprint on the Nokereberg.
For Nokere Koerse, Pau Miquel will be the team’s main sprint option, with Matevz Govekar as co-leader for the sprint and an important part of the lead-out.
Around them, Alberto Bruttomesso and Zak Erzen will focus on positioning and guiding the team through the key phases of the race. Alessandro Borgo, Seth Dunwoody and Alec Segaert will provide support and cover moves if the race becomes more selective.
“Nokere is a race I’m really looking forward to,” said Miquel. “The finish there suits me quite well with this uphill sprint. We come with a strong team and a lot of fast guys, so the idea is to arrive in a good position for the final.
“Maybe if the race becomes a bit selective and we get a reduced sprint it could be good for us, but nowadays the level in the peloton is very high so it’s not easy.
“We have to stay attentive all day, avoid crashes and dangerous situations, and then try to fight for the win because this is also the goal for the team.”
Bahrain Victorious sports director Nikolas Maes added: “Looking ahead to Nokere, I think we come with a strong group, especially considering how many young riders we have in the team. Many of them have a lot of potential and races like this are important for their development, helping them grow year by year.
“Nokere is always a demanding race, and the weather in Belgium can also play a role with wind or rain, so positioning and attentive racing will be very important throughout the day.
“With Matevz and Pau we have two riders who are well suited to the finish in Nokere and who could fight for a strong result if we arrive in the right position in the final kilometres. At the same time, Alec arrives in good condition and can also play an important role in the race.”
The following day, Bahrain Victorious will continue its northern block at Grand Prix de Denain in France, a race known for its demanding cobbled sectors and often compared to a smaller version of Paris-Roubaix.
The course includes 13 cobbled sectors, which usually make the race very selective and place a strong emphasis on positioning through the decisive parts of the race.
For Denain, Segaert will be one of the team’s leaders on a course that suits his characteristics well, while Govekar provides another option if the race comes down to a sprint. Oliver Stockwell, Daniel Skerl, and Bruttomesso will look for opportunities early in the race and support the team through the key sectors, while Erzen and Borgo will play an important role as the race approaches the decisive cobbled sections.
“Denain is always a very hard race because of the cobbled sectors,” said Maes. “There are 13 sectors in total and some of them are similar to what you see in Paris-Roubaix, which is why people often describe it as a small Roubaix. The cobbles start roughly halfway through the race and they are quite demanding, so the race can quickly become selective.
“With Alec, we have a rider who is well suited to this type of course. He has the qualities for these cobbled races and we believe he can be competitive there. Our goal is to fight for a strong result if the race develops in the right way.
“At the same time, Denain is a race where many things can change quickly. One moment you can be in the perfect position and the next you can lose time because of a mechanical or a small incident. That is part of racing on cobbles.
Said Segaert: “I’m really looking forward to Denain. It’s a race that should suit me well with the cobbled sectors, which are similar in some ways to Paris-Roubaix. I enjoyed the race last year and I was in the front group, so it’s definitely one I like.
“So far, this season has been okay. I had a bit of bad luck in the opening weekends with a crash, but nothing too serious. Since then, I’ve had a good block of training and now we start again with Nokere and Denain.
“We’ll go full gas with the team and I’m ready for it.”
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