Victor Campenaerts (LottoNl-Jumbo)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
The Downing brothers, Russell and Dean(Image credit: SWpix.com)
Andre Greipel back in action(Image credit: Sadhbh O'Shea)
Snow forces change in Romandie
The late outbreak of bad weather has forced the Tour de Romandie to shorten the route of the first stage, Wednesday. Because of snow on the Col d’Etroits, the stage will now start at Mathod at 14:50 CET, reducing the length from 167km to 109km and leaving the day with only three Cat. 3 climbs.
The team sign-in will still take place as planned at the original start, La-Chaux-du-Fonds, and riders will then travel to Mathod for the start.
Andre Greipel will go for the sprints in the Giro d’Italia for Lotto-Soudal, while Australian Adam Hansen will tackle his eighth Giro and 14th consecutive Grand Tour.
Greipel already has three wins on the season, including the third stage of the Tour of Turkey.
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Sean De Bie and Jürgen Roelandts will make their first participation in the race, while Lars Bak will meet Hansen’s record of eight. The team is rounded out by Tim Wellens, Pim Ligthart, Jelle Vanendert and Maxime Monfort.
Victor Campenaerts breaks nose and teeth in Tour de Romandie crash
"He broke some teeth and his nose and has a concussion," said sports director Frans Massen, who was following Campenaerts in the car. "In a moment of distraction, he went straight in the first right-hand turn."
Campenaerts got back on his bike to finish the prologue in last place, 1:16 minutes down on winner Ion Izagirre (Movistar) before heading to hospital where he kept overnight for observation.
Russ Downing leads JLT Condor at Tour de Yorkshire
Russ Downing has been named as one of three local riders in JLT Condor's Tour de Yorkshire squad alongside Graham Briggs and Tom Moses. The former British national road race champion is aiming for a good showing on his roads he normally rides on training rides.
"Yorkshire has been a big focus in my winter training so I'm hoping for a solid performance in the first two stages, hoping for a good sprint finish," said Downing.
While the Continental team will be focused on the sprints with Downing, manager John Herety explained there isn't one single expectation for the three-days of racing.
"The Tour de Yorkshire is particularly challenging both in level of competition and terrain. Throw in expectations of the public wishing us to do well, it will be a tough race. Our overall objective will be to show that we deserve to be in the race, and try to gain a respectable GC position for Steve Lampier, Steve Williams and even Russell Downing," said Herety.
Conor Dunne, Chris Lawless, Steve Lampier, Stephen Williams and Ali Slater have also been selected for the team although Ed Clancy misses selection with Olympic gold medallist still recovering from back ijury.
"Ed rode his first road race in seven months last weekend, and performed really well. It was a very tough decision not to select him," added Herety.
