Mauro Schmid and Andrea Vendrame will headline Team Jayco AlUla’s roster for the hilly Ardennes Classics, with both aiming to capitalise on strong starts to the season.
Starting with Brabantse Pijl on Friday, 17 April, the riders will dip into the Netherlands for the Amstel Gold Race (April 19), followed by a return to Belgium for La Flèche Wallonne (April 22), and closing with the oldest monument of them all, Liège-Bastogne-Liège (April 26).
Schmid has been on flying form of late with the overall victory and a stage at Coppi e Bartali, wins at the Muscat Classic and a stage of the Tour of Oman, plus second at the recent NXT Classic. The Swiss champion will be targeting strong results across all four races, particularly at Amstel, where he helped Michael Matthews to a top-five finish last year.
Vandrame, who will start his Ardennes campaign in the Netherlands, has enjoyed a very solid star to the year with consistently picking up top-10 placings right from the off. It will be the 31-year-old Italian’s first tilt at these races, but he’s proven himself time and again on similar terrain.
Also contesting all four races will be Anders Foldager and Alessandro Covi, who will be key support riders for both Schmid and Vendrame. Alan Hatherly will join the team for the final race of the block, adding to the punchy firepower in the line-up.
Racing from Brabantse Pijl until Flèche Wallonne will be Davide De Pretto and Asbjørn Hellemose. Meanwhile, Filippo Conca will ride at Brabantse, Jasha Sütterlin will contest just Amstel, and Koen Bouwman comes in for Liège. Rounding out the line-up will be Dries De Pooter, who rides Brabantse and Liège.
Team Jayco AlUla for the Ardennes Classics
Mauro Schmid (SWI) – All 4 races
Anders Foldager (DEN) – All 4 races
Alessandro Covi (ITA) – All 4 races
Andrea Vendrame (ITA) – Amstel to Liège
Alan Hatherly (RSA) – Flèche & Liège
Davide De Pretto (ITA) – Brabantse to Flèche
Asbjørn Hellemose (DEN) – Brabantse to Flèche
Dries De Pooter (BEL) – Brabantse & Liège
Filippo Conca (ITA) – Brabantse only
Jasha Sütterlin (GER) – Amstel only
Koen Bouwman (NED) – Liège only
Mauro Schmid
“I’ve had a fantastic spring, and it has always been a big goal to finish it off well with the Ardennes. Last year, I had a really good period there being in the group with Bling in Amstel, then a top 10 in Flèche also being close to a top 10 in Liège, just behind the group that raced for the podium. Normally, all of these races suit me quite well, especially with my shape at the moment.
The big goal will be starting it well at Amstel. I’ve been able to gain some good experience there in the last years, particularly last season, and I should be able to race for a top 10 or a podium there and also in Liège. I hope I can take another step forward compared to last year and be up there in the fight for a podium spot in these races.”
Pieter Weening (Sport Director)
“We have a very strong line-up with some guys who are in very good shape. The Ardennes races are really suited to Mauro Schmid and Andrea Vendrame, who are both going really well. Behind those guys, we have a couple of really strong guys who can go deep into the final, such as Alessandro Covi, Anders Foldager and then we also have Alan Hatherly coming in for Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. We’re going to have a strong line-up and I’m sure we can go home with some nice results from these races.”
Photo: Sprint Cycling
