Patrick Lefevere is confident about his team(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
Stijn Devolder and Kevin Van Impe(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
Wouter Weyland & Andreas Stauff(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
The Molenberg, Flemish roads are dirty because of the hard winter(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
Maarten Wynants having a good time climbing the Molenberg.(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
Wouter Weylandt(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
Andreas Stauff sporting a bit of muck on his kit.(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
Kevin De Weert(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
Kevin Hulsmans soldiers on.(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
Kevin Van Impe was out training but won't start this weekend because of digestive problems.(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
Stijn Devolder & Iljo Keisse(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
Stijn Devolder on the last cobblestone section of the race: De Lange Munte. Very windy today.(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
Devolder looking comfortable powering over the cobbles.(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
Wouter Weylandt keeps his rain gear handy.(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
Stijn Devolder after the reconnaissance: "I don't need a reconnaissance of the classics but this is a tradition and I like traditions!"(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
Stijn Devolder's bike(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
Kevin De Weer and his teammates on the Kruisberg(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
Stijn Devolder on the Muur(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
It gets pretty steep on the Muur.(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
The Quick Step mechanic gets the bikes ready for the recon ride.(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
Food & drinks packed tightly for a 160km trip(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
The bikes are lined up and ready for the classics(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
The Merckx bikes are equipped with Campagnolo Record.(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
Locked and loaded, the spares are ready if needed.(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
Wouter Weylandt is memorizing the roadbook(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
Wilfried Peeters is the team's director for the weekend(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
Maarten Wynants fuels up for the ride.(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
De Haaghoek, the first cobble section(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
Stijn Devolder is testing his legs(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
(r-l) Jurgen Vandewalle, Iljo Keisse, Maarten Wynants(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
(l-r) Kevin Hulsmans, Kevin Van Impe(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
On the Valkenberg(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
The riders take a steady tempo on the bergs.(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
On the Muur, Geraardsbergen. Nikolas Maes in front of the Quickstep peloton.(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
The tough riders take the cobbles, the others - the smoother pavement on the side.(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
Stijn Devolder the anti hero of Quickstep? He told the press that he is still happy to be part of the team. He denies the rumour that he wants to leave Quickstep.(Image credit: Tim Van Wichelen)
The Quick Step team set out to preview the courses for this weekend's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad only to find the harsh winter which Europe has endured this year has deteriorated the road surfaces.
Team director Wilfried Peeters wasn't worried that sprinter Tom Boonen and Sylvain Chavanel chose to skip the reconnaissance ride, saying that he will be able to warn them about the potholes over the race radio on Saturday.
Stijn Devolder was one of the team's leaders who took part in the "tradition" despite some cold, wet weather. Devolder is part of a three-man attack squad that Quick Step has ready to tackle the Spring Classics. The former Belgian champion warned that his condition is not yet at its peak, but he feels it's better than at this point last year.
"I try not to peak too early," he said in a press conference. "My peak is in April because of the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix."
Those looking to Devolder to perform in this weekend's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad or Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne may be disappointed. He said the course is perhaps not selective enough and a bit too short. He will look to the Three Days of De Panne as his final preparation for the Tour of Flanders, skipping Gent-Wevelgem in favour of the E3 Prijs.
The two-time Ronde van Vlaanderen champion fought off rumours that he's tired of playing second fiddle to the likes of Boonen and is seeking to leave the Belgian powerhouse team.
"The rumours are simply incorrect," Devolder said. "I'm very happy with the team I'm on."
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Quick Step for Omloop Het Nieuwsblad: Tom Boonen, Sylvain Chavanel, Stijn Devolder, Kevin De Weert, Nikolas Maes, Kevin Hulsmans, Jurgen Van de Walle, Maarten Wynants.
Quick Step for Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne: Tom Boonen, Sylvain Chavanel, Stijn Devolder, Kurt Hovelijnck, Iljo Keisse, Jurgen Van de Walle, Wouter Weylandt, Maarten Wynants.
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