Velocio-SRAM ready for Tour of Flanders

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Velocio-SRAM will line up at the Women's Tour of Flanders on Easter Sunday looking for its first European win of the season. With a squad containing several riders capable of challenging for the win, Belarusian champion Alena Amialisuik in looking to improve upon her fifth place at last week's Trofeo Binda World Cup and show the team colours at the front of the race.

"We have ridden the course earlier in the Spring, and as you expect from Flanders, it is going to be a typically hard fought race," said Amialisuik. "We have a lot of cards in our team to play with for this race and I am confident that we will improve on our result from last week."

The 26-year-old did not finish the race last year having placed 33rd in 2013 but Amialisuik's result at the second World Cup of the season and seventh place at Strade Bianche has given her confidence of recording a top result.

The team's sport director Ronny Lauke is excited by the 144km parcours, which features five cobblestone sectors and ten climbs including the Paterberg located just 13km before the finish in Oudenaarde, and believes the team is ready for the challenge.

"There are many opportunities for the race to split and for early attacks to stay away, even as early as the Lange Munte in the first 17km," said Lauke. "Flanders is like no other World Cup. Successful riders need to have a unique skill and strength and the ability to cope with the technical demands. However in this race riders need to be focused and use their tactical nous for the entire 144km."

Velocio-SRAM will also be looking to classics specialist Tiffany Cromwell who has improved upon her position year-after-year at the race. The Australian was ninth in 2014 and has posted several top-ten finishes this year already to suggest she will be a marked rider on Sunday.