Giant-Alpecin aiming for Amstel Gold Race top-ten with Dumoulin

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Tom Dumoulin will have the honour of leading Giant-Alpecin on home roads at the only one-day Dutch WorldTour event of 2015, Amstel Gold Race. Dumoulin, who won his first race of the year at the final day Vuelta Ciclista al Pais Vasco time trial last week, is looking to carry his form into the Ardennes with a top-ten finish within his reach.

"Tom Dumoulin will be our man for the final as he will be joined by a talented team with the experienced Roy Curvers as team captain," said team coach Aike Visbeek. "The weather forecast is looking good so I expect a traditional Amstel Gold Race that will be decided on the Cauberg. I am satisfied when we can make it among the top ten on Sunday."

Dumoulin has ridden the 258km race, which starts in his hometown of Maastricht, for the past three editions with his best result so far being 20th place in 2014. Giant-Alpcein's best finisher last year, Simon Geschke, is continuing to recover from a broken collarbone and will miss the race although the 24-year-old will be able to call upon Warren Barguil and fellow climber Georg Preidler for support throughout the lumpy parcours and for the final climb up the Cauberg.

Curvers and Koen de Kort complete the line up after both rode Paris-Roubaix in support for John Degenkolb who won the team's second monument of the season.

Before Amstel Gold, Giant-Alpecin will first warm up for the Ardennes Classics at the 1.HC De Brabantse Pijl race on Wednesday with a team that includes several of its cobbled classics riders. From the Paris-Roubaix team is Tom Stamsnijder while Curvers and Zico Waeytens rode Milan-San Remo last month.

"We start the race with riders who are well-prepared for the Ardennes Classics. We hope it will become an open race as our strategy will be attacking," explained coach Rudi Kemna. "Caleb Fairly and youngster Fredrik Ludvigsson will receive the space to grow into races like Brabantse Pijl and we will try to ride a good final with Zico Waeytens."

Johannes Fröhlinger and Thierry Hupond both line up their his sixth career participations at De Brabantse Pijl while Cheng Ji will make his third having recorded two DNF's previously.

Giant-Alpecin for Amstel Gold Race: Warren Barguil (Fra), Roy Curvers (Ned), Koen de Kort (Ned), Tom Dumoulin (Ned), Thierry Hupond (Fra), Georg Preidler (Aut), Albert Timmer (Ned) and Zico Waeytens (Bel).

Giant-Alpecin for De Brabantse Pijl: Roy Curvers (Ned), Caleb Fairly (USA), Johannes Fröhlinger (Ger), Thierry Hupond (Fra), Cheng Ji (Chn), Fredrik Ludvigsson (Swe), Tom Stamsnijder (Ned) and Zico Waeytens (Bel).