Pidcock, Carapaz headline Ineos Grenadiers for Brabantse Pijl

Tom Pidcock will continue his assault on the Classics in the mid-week Brabantse Pijl, where he will link up with Ineos Grenadiers teammates Richard Carapaz and Eddie Dunbar, who travel to Belgium from the Itzulia Basque Country. 

Also joining Ineos Grenadiers for the ProSeries race are Michal Golas, Leonardo Basso, Cameron Wurf and Luke Rowe.

Pidcock made the podium in his second one-day outing with the team in Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne in February, then was fifth in Strade Bianche and part of the sprint for second in Milan-San Remo, finishing 15th after attacking on the Poggio.

Brabantse Pijl is normally a transition race to ease the riders into the Ardennes Classics after Paris-Roubaix, but since the postponement of the Hell of the North to October because of surging COVID-19 cases in France, it now holds more importance, with riders like Gent-Wevelgem winner Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma) and Milan-San Remo winner Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo) delaying their post-Roubaix break to compete on Wednesday.

The 2021 edition is also attractive because part of the route will be used in the UCI Road World Championships this September. Now that the cold snap in Europe has lifted, the riders should enjoy more spring-like temperatures.

The 201.7km route starts in Leuven and includes both Flemish and Walloon Brabant regions, dipping into the climbs near Beersel of the Alsemberg, Sollenberg, Bruin Put, Krabosstraat and Rue de Nivelles, before returning to take on the Overijse circuit that will feature in the middle of the Worlds road race courses that finish in Leuven. 

That circuit includes the climbs of the Hagaard, Hertstraat, the newly resurfaced Moskesstraat, Holstheide and S-Bocht Overijse but not the traditional final climb, the Schavei, because of road works.

The men will tackle the Overijse circuit three times with the finish less than a kilometre from the final climb.

Ineos Grenadiers for the 2021 Brabantse Pijl: Tom Pidcock, Leonardo Basso, Richard Carapaz, Eddie Dunbar, Michal Golas, Luke Rowe, Cameron Wurf.