Back to racing: Mallorca Challenge & Tour d'Eure et Loir
After two months without racing, Leopard Pro Cycling pins on the race numbers again. As of Wednesday, the team is active at the Mallorca Challenge. One day later, a second part of the team starts at the Tour d'Eure et Loir.
Mallorca Challenge (4 times UCI 1.1)
13.05 | Trofeo Calvia: Peguera - Palmanova | 168.5 km
14.05 | Trofeo Serra de Tramuntana: Lloseta - Deià | 158.6 km
15.05 | Trofeo Port d'Andratx: Andratx - Pollença | 161.3 km
16.05 | Trofeo Alcudia: Alcudia - Alcudia | 169.8 km
At the largest of the Balearic Islands, an exciting race awaits. Six WorldTeams, some ProTeams and a few Continental teams fill the start list of the Mallorca Challenge, which consists of four one-day races across the island. One that is looking for flat roads during the first three days will have a very hard time. Tough racing that suits the climbers and puncheurs will be expected. Leopard's Jan Maas and Miguel Heidemann will for sure be eager to show themselves. On the final day, the Trofeo Alcudia, a bunch sprint is very much within the possibilities.
Who are riding?
Patrick Haller (GER), Miguel Heidemann (GER), Jan Maas (NED), Filip Maciejuk (POL), Jarno Mobach (NED) & Cedric Pries (LUX) - DS: Gaëtan Pons (LUX)
Tour d'Eure et Loir (UCI 2.2)
14.05 | Illiers-Combray - Brou | 120.4 km
15.05 | Courville-sur-Eure - Dreux | 187.2 km
16.05 | Bonneval - Chartres | 193.5 km
At this French race in de Eure-et-Loir department, six other Leopard Pro Cycling riders will sign the start sheet for their three-day adventure. The first stage has a hilly middle part, but the ones that would like to fight for the overall classification will have to be present in the final of the second stage. Here, the peloton will face an Italian-like uphill finish in Dreux. As the third and final stage has a bunch sprint written all over it, there is not much more room to improve any GC defecits in the late stages of the race.
Who are riding?
Louis Coqueret (FRA), Colin Heiderscheid (LUX), Arthur Kluckers (LUX), Edvin Lovidius (SWE), Tim Torn Teutenberg (GER), Mats Wenzel (LUX) - DS: Jan Brockhoff (GER)
Photographer
(c) Fellusch
Cedric Pries (20) will ride the Mallorca Challenge
"We come to Mallorca with the knowledge that the quality of the peloton will be quite high. There are many teams at the start that have been racing for a while now, whilst we don't really know what to expect because of the lack of races recently. However, I know that I am in a good shape and I will give it my all in these four days. I am so happy that we can race again. It was not always easy to go out on the bike when it was rainy and cold and you don't know when your next race will be. I hope that we can now continue racing. The focus is now on the Mallorca Challenge, but I am also already looking forward to races such as the Tour de l'Avenir, the Tour de Luxembourg and Liège-Bastogne-Liège."
Mats Wenzel (18) will ride the Tour d'Eure et Loir
"I don't know much about the Tour d'Eure et Loir yet, but it is more important that I am back racing again. At the beginning of the year I badly injured my cruciate ligament, so it will be only my first race of the year. Therefore, I don't really know where I stand, but I hope that I am able to help the team as much as possible. I have been working hard to regain my strenghts and from this point on I am aiming to get back at my level from last year and hopefully improve even more."
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