Seeldraeyers, the little Cunego

Quick Step's Kevin Seeldraeyers (Quick Step) has shown very good form in Paris-Nice, where he won the young rider classification. His form in the mountains has especially been noted, with his power on the uphills.

"I'd say he is a little Cunego," Quick Step Directeur Sportif Rik Verbrugghe told Belgian paper La Dernière Heure. Verbrugghe doesn't question that Seeldraeyers can crack the top 10 in a Grand Tour. "The parcours in Paris-Nice, with the climbs at six to seven percent, wasn't even the best for him. He is better when it is steeper," said Verbrugghe.

Verbrugghe was not surprised with Seeldraeyers's good racing. "I have seen him in a mountain stage in the Dauphiné two years ago and last year he rode in support of Paolo Bettini and Giovanni Visconti at the Giro."

The Quick Step managers also know the dangers of overracing the 22-year-old. "We don't want to burn him out," said Verbrugghe and explained that Seeldraeyers will neither race Flèche Wallonne nor Liège-Bastogne-Liège.