After we labelled February a "crucial" month (which went rather well so far), March isn't much less of that, actually. We're only racing about half as much - but with plenty of cobbled races on our schedule, it will be crucial to see how Eddie Theuns can still keep up with the best after a slight decline!
Besides the cobblers, the puncheurs and the TTers will have their share of racing as well, before stage racers take over with the GT season starting next month.
7 races, 4 classics, only one PTHC race - and the second monument of the year! Here are the details:
Mar 01 - 03 | Ronde van Nederland | PT
Profile
Lineup
Rider
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FG
DH
PR
Kaden Groves
75
62
72
65
75
73
80
66
80
79
64
67
71
Mauro Schmid
72
76
79
68
71
78
73
69
70
79
78
74
66
Edward Theuns
71
66
73
64
74
71
72
79
76
74
63
66
69
Teten Rohendi
70
75
75
70
73
75
74
55
62
73
71
70
71
Lorenzo Delco
73
72
73
70
75
74
75
67
64
72
68
77
71
AOP Setiawa
68
70
75
74
76
72
71
57
62
70
76
66
74
Filippo Colombo
72
64
68
67
73
72
64
72
71
72
71
71
67
Felix Stehli
67
68
71
62
70
70
69
62
69
71
69
69
66
Tactics
Even though we weren't here last year, we bring the defending champion! Groves won the GC, points and U25 last year - whereas we already know he won't repeat the latter, winning the GC again would take a lot of things to fall into place again. He'll still be our leader, and if he gets his positioning done better than in some other races, he should definitely be a top contender again.
Mauro could be a candidate for the white jersey this year; if Kaden doesn't feel well enough, Schmid could take over, in particular on days 2 and 3. Or he could just protect Theuns and deliver him in great position, while getting some nice depth results on his own.
Theuns could act as our final leadout, and most of the others also have some kind of skills on the hills. So another good depth team result would be nice to get.
Track Record
--- none ---
Expectations
Stages: 2x Top 10
GC: Top 10
Points: 160
Mar 10 | Strada Appia Antica | PT
Profile
Lineup
Rider
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FG
DH
PR
Edward Theuns
71
66
73
64
74
71
72
79
76
74
63
66
69
Tomas Paprstka
75
62
69
62
74
70
68
75
70
72
69
78
63
Stefan Küng
73
70
73
77
74
72
73
72
63
71
73
78
78
Clement Berthet
65
75
74
60
70
74
66
60
62
73
72
75
60
Lorenzo Delco
73
72
73
70
75
74
75
67
64
72
68
77
71
Filippo Colombo
72
64
68
67
73
72
64
72
71
72
71
71
67
Hugo Page
69
65
67
61
71
69
65
63
73
76
68
69
66
Felix Stehli
67
68
71
62
70
70
69
62
69
71
69
69
66
Tactics
First cobbled race of the year! And it's one of those that suit Eddie Theuns rather well, with quite a lot of climbing involved, some flat cobbles at the end, and probably sprints of smaller groups to the finish.
Eddie took 6th place here last year; he may have declined a bit, but his skills should still be decent enough to get a solid result. If not, we'll probably be somewhat screwed this month.
The domestique lineup isn't impressive, as sadly Tediashvili left us and Sommer isn't maxed yet (and loaned out moreover). But Paprstka has often delivered good results in the past, and Küng is one of these riders who do pretty well on any terrain. So there's hope!
Track Record
Best: 6th (Edward Theuns, 2023)
Expectations
Result: Top 15
Points: 80
Mar 12 - 15 | Praha - Karlovy Vary - Praha | PT
Profile
Lineup
Rider
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FG
DH
PR
Szymon Rekita
72
58
63
79
70
73
73
62
69
70
63
73
78
Stefan Bissegger
74
68
69
78
73
77
72
60
72
73
64
71
77
Alexys Brunel
75
67
71
78
72
78
73
66
61
65
69
66
78
Stefan Küng
73
70
73
77
74
72
73
72
63
71
73
78
78
Ethan Vernon
73
60
65
77
72
75
72
66
75
70
63
65
78
Krzysztof Marchewka
65
64
60
77
73
75
74
50
52
64
62
65
77
Kaden Groves
75
62
72
65
75
73
80
66
80
79
64
67
71
Gabriel Chavanne
75
58
64
65
71
76
74
57
76
76
53
67
82
Tactics
Another new stage race for us rounds off the first half of the month. And it's the race where we'll most likely have the biggest regrets of not having been able to sign Ganna...
So it will be Rekita leading our team, but given that there's a plethora of other 79 TTers, we can't set the expectations too high. Our strenght once again is the team's depth, and so the goal will be to bring as many as possible of our 6 TTers in the Top 50.
Then there's obviously Gabby for the prologue - another chance for him to finally dethrone almighty SKA, but the competition will likely be far bigger than in Tirreno, with Ganna and Zmorka probably joining the party.
Groves is here for the two sprint stages, let's hope all the bumps especially on stage 2 play in his favour!
Track Record
--- none ---
Expectations
Stages: 3x Top 10
GC: Top 20
Points: 110
Mar 18 - 19 | Franceville Classique | PTHC
Profile
Lineup
Rider
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FG
DH
PR
Edward Theuns
71
66
73
64
74
71
72
79
76
74
63
66
69
Tomas Paprstka
75
62
69
62
74
70
68
75
70
72
69
78
63
Stefan Küng
73
70
73
77
74
72
73
72
63
71
73
78
78
Cees Bol
76
64
70
67
75
77
81
68
79
77
68
67
69
Clement Berthet
65
75
74
60
70
74
66
60
62
73
72
75
60
Lorenzo Delco
73
72
73
70
75
74
75
67
64
72
68
77
71
Filippo Colombo
72
64
68
67
73
72
64
72
71
72
71
71
67
Hugo Page
69
65
67
61
71
69
65
63
73
76
68
69
66
Tactics
The race with "classic" in the name actually isn't one, instead it was transformed into a two-day stage race last year. We'd have loved to participate in 2023 once we signed Eddie Theuns, but it was too late to change the calendar.
Now, he's here one year late - sadly with slightly less power in his legs. We still expect him to do pretty well, in particular given that stage 2 should favour rider with some hilly skills.
Stage 1 turned out to be one for the sprinters who can handle some minor cobbles, which is the case for Cees Bol, so we send him here as well in case Eddie doesn't feel like sprinting. Otherwise, standard cobbles support, hopefully with at least Paprstka able to get a Top 50 finish.
Track Record
--- none ---
Expectations
Stages: 1x Top 10
GC: Top 15
Points: 70
Mar 21 | Macskako Kerekparverseny | PT
Profile
Lineup
Rider
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FG
DH
PR
Edward Theuns
71
66
73
64
74
71
72
79
76
74
63
66
69
Tomas Paprstka
75
62
69
62
74
70
68
75
70
72
69
78
63
Stefan Küng
73
70
73
77
74
72
73
72
63
71
73
78
78
Mauro Schmid
72
76
79
68
71
78
73
69
70
79
78
74
66
Clement Berthet
65
75
74
60
70
74
66
60
62
73
72
75
60
Lorenzo Delco
73
72
73
70
75
74
75
67
64
72
68
77
71
Filippo Colombo
72
64
68
67
73
72
64
72
71
72
71
71
67
Felix Stehli
67
68
71
62
70
70
69
62
69
71
69
69
66
Tactics
The rest of the month consists of three cobbled classics, whereof Macskako is the first. Cobbles and hills combined, tailor-made for Eddie. So tailor-made that he got too enthusiastic last year - it was his only cobbled race where he missed out on the Top 10.
This wouldn't be too big of a surprise this year, although we'll happily take a better result. Paprstka and Küng will once again try to help him as well as they can.
And what is Mauro doing here? Well, it's a pretty hilly race here - and given that he finished 29th last year when still unmaxed, we just want to see what he can do in this kind of race. It's his only cobbles appearance this year - depending on the outcome, there might be more next time. Or less.
Track Record
Best: 11th (Edward Theuns, 2023)
Expectations
Result: Top 15
Points: 80
Mar 23 | E3 Prijs | PT
Profile
Lineup
Rider
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FG
DH
PR
Edward Theuns
71
66
73
64
74
71
72
79
76
74
63
66
69
Tomas Paprstka
75
62
69
62
74
70
68
75
70
72
69
78
63
Stefan Küng
73
70
73
77
74
72
73
72
63
71
73
78
78
Clement Berthet
65
75
74
60
70
74
66
60
62
73
72
75
60
Lorenzo Delco
73
72
73
70
75
74
75
67
64
72
68
77
71
Filippo Colombo
72
64
68
67
73
72
64
72
71
72
71
71
67
Hugo Page
69
65
67
61
71
69
65
63
73
76
68
69
66
Felix Stehli
67
68
71
62
70
70
69
62
69
71
69
69
66
Tactics
More cobbles and hills! Hence one more chance for Eddie to have fun. Standard support squad, standard expectations. Not much more to say.
Ah yeah, while I thought it was a new race for us, we actually already participated once here - back in 2021, in our first PCT year. With Basso as our best cobbler. But just to say, Basso finished 16th here last year, maybe we should've bought him back...
Track Record
Best: 46th (Leonardo Basso, 2021)
Expectations
Result: Top 15
Points: 80
Mar 27 | Ronde van Vlaanderen | M
Profile
Lineup
Rider
FL
MO
HI
TT
ST
RS
RC
CB
SP
AC
FG
DH
PR
Edward Theuns
71
66
73
64
74
71
72
79
76
74
63
66
69
Tomas Paprstka
75
62
69
62
74
70
68
75
70
72
69
78
63
Stefan Küng
73
70
73
77
74
72
73
72
63
71
73
78
78
Xuban Errazkin
71
74
78
70
76
75
76
64
63
73
69
67
70
Clement Berthet
65
75
74
60
70
74
66
60
62
73
72
75
60
Cees Bol
76
64
70
67
75
77
81
68
79
77
68
67
69
Lorenzo Delco
73
72
73
70
75
74
75
67
64
72
68
77
71
Filippo Colombo
72
64
68
67
73
72
64
72
71
72
71
71
67
Tactics
The second monument of the year - the only one that one of our riders was ever able to win so far. Yeah, it was obviously Eddie, back in 2021, when still riding for MOL. He showed last year that he really likes this race, finishing 3rd!
We can't expect a repeat after his decline, sadly, but we're still hoping for a good outcome. We even bring Errazkin to help him on all those non-cobbled hills. Don't ask me why Bol is here, though...
Otherwise, Paprstka and Küng again to support Eddie, with Küng also being able to handle some hills. Last race of the month, hopefully another good one!
Track Record
Best: 3rd (Edward Theuns, 2023)
Expectations
Result: Top 15
Points: 100
Summary
Although we have far less RDs to spend than last month, it's another very important month for us; if Eddie Theuns still can deliver at a good level, it could be looking pretty good for us. If not, well...
Otherwise, looking forward to Groves trying to defend his Nederland crown, and hoping for Chavanne to get us another prologue podium in Praha.
A lot of races again in March with a couple of big ones in Nederlands and Praha. Team has been doing fine so far, possible a chance to consolidate on it with these races!
Ronde van Nederland | 
Strada Appia Antica | 
Franceville Classique | 
Macskako Kerekparverseny | 
