Vacansoleil lays out early season plans

The Vacansoleil Pro Cycling Team has already set its sights on the 2010 season opener, the GP d'Ouverture La Marseillaise on January 31. In 2009, Johnny Hoogerland finished in fifth place for the team and will try to improve upon that result this year. He will be helped by sprinter Borut Bozic, Roman and Brice Feillu, Marco Marcato, Lieuwe Westra, Frederik Veuchelen and Björn Leukemans.

The next race will be the Etoile de Bessèges from February 3-7, the race where last year Leukemans won the team's first race in 2009. The team will then move on to the Tours of Qatar and Oman, while another group will do the Tour Méditerranéen.

The last preparation for the Belgian early season semi-Classics will be at the Volta ao Algarve and Ruta Del Sol. In the final weekend of February comes the Omloop het Nieuwsblad (1.HC), Kuurne-Bruxelles-Kuurne and the Clasica Almeria.

Sport director Hilaire Van Der Schueren is happy with the program. “In November we individually talked with all riders about their program and ambition. If you look at the program for February all riders can certainly get some races done. In these races we will be full of ambition because a good start gives good spirit to the team.”

The team will be presented to the press on January 26th.