Dekker scouting out Milano-Sanremo

Silence-Lotto rider Thomas Dekker scouts out Milano-Sanremo today, along with his teammates Jürgen Roelandts and Greg van Avermaet. The trio will especially look at the climbs of the Cipressa and the Poggio. The race is on March 21.

It is the backside of the two famous rises shortly before the finish in Sanremo that the three will be particularly interested in. "Getting to know the descent is especially important," sports director Roberto Damiani told Dutch paper De Telegraaf.

Silence-Lotto had a mixed opening weekend in Belgium. Greg van Avermaet finished fourth in the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad on Saturday. In that race, Philippe Gilbert was also riding well. But Roelandts faced some criticism after his 61st place in Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne. Roelandts, the reigning Belgian champion is the team leader for some of the Spring Classics that Gilbert and Van Avermaet are not racing.