Team Bahrain Victorious is set to take on the three one day races that make up the Ardennes Classics, running through the Dutch Limburg region and Belgian Ardennes. These classics differ from the cobbled classics due to their hilly profile making them suited to climbers.

Marking the start of the Ardennes Classics is the Amstel Gold Race on April 18th. After being cancelled last year, the race will run its 56th edition, with an altered route due to the pandemic. Traditionally this race runs over 260 km but has been shortened this year to 216km consisting of 12 local 16.9km laps of Valkenburg and a slightly different 15.9km final lap.

Sports Director Neil Stephens gives his outlook on the race. “Since De Brabantse Pijl, we’ve been recovering and looking at the course for Amstel. We’re very excited and looking forward to this race. Wout Poel, Tratnik, Dylan, Mohoric and also Sonny give us plenty of options depending on how the race plays out. It would be great to get a podium at the first of the Ardennes Classics, and we’re super motivated for this weekend.”

The second of the Ardennes Classics on 21st April is La Flèche Wallonne. The 194km route starts in Charleroi and ends up the iconic finish, Mur de Hoy, the 1.3km climb averaging at 9.7%.

The final and most prestigious of the Ardennes Classics is Liège-Bastogne-Liège on April 25th. The only monument of the Ardennes known as ‘La Doyenne’ (The Old Lady), is in its 107th edition of the race that starts and ends in Liege. The 260km route is made up of plenty of short climbs that see riders ascending over 4,200m.

Sports Director Gorazd Štangelj is looking forward to the races:
“Flèche is a shorter race and we might try with Tratnik in a breakaway.
Matej, Stephen and Eros will play the role to protect our leaders Dylan, Wout and Jack. Usually, the winner comes into the last climb into a reduced bunch of 50 to 80 riders, and Mur de Huy decides the outcome!

Liège is a completely different race. Usually, the peloton is chasing the breakaway for the first 160km. From then on, it becomes more complicated due to hard climbs, narrow roads and a high pace.

The biggest selection is made on La Redoute and the final one on la Cote de la Roche aux Faucons. From there, the winner is decided.
Our best cards would be Matej, who finished 4th last year and Dylan. We also have Wout and Jack to make a move in advance. Our objective is top 5 and two in top 10!”