Cycling: The classic season is fast approaching – the annual announcements of the wild cards for the many upcoming races are also part of the harbingers. After Paris-Roubaix yesterday, the ASO today published the start lists for the Ardennes classics Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège. For the German second division there is reason to be happy.
The Ardennes classics are on the rise again in mid-April: The Walloon Arrow will start on April 20th, followed by Liège-Bastogne-Liège on April 24th. As it became known today, minor changes were made to the routes for both classics this year: In both cases, an additional climb in the final phase of the race makes the final sprint more difficult for the drivers and the organizers naturally provide more tactical options .
There were also invitations to the two races today. The good news from a German perspective: Both Bora-Argon 18 and the Team Stölting Service Group have each received an invitation to one of the races. Bora-Argon 18 will compete at Liège-Bastogne-Liège on April 24th and already has a busy and extremely high-profile spring calendar following the wildcards for Milan – Sanremo and Paris – Roubaix. The invitation to the Flèche Wallonne on April 20th is also cause for celebration for the Stölting Service Group team: It is the first WorldTour race in which the second German ProContinental racing team will be at the start.
In addition to the 18 WorldTour teams, the following teams received invitations to the Ardennes classics:
La Fleche Wallonne (April 20)
- Cofidis, Solutions Credits (Fr)
- Delko Marseille Provence KTM (Fra)
- Fortuneo – Vital Concept (Fra)
- Roompot – Orange Peloton (Ned)
- Stoelting Service Group ( Ger)
- Top sport Vlaanderen – Baloise (Bel)
- Wanty – Groupe Gobert (Bel)
Liège-Bastogne-Liège (24 April)
- Bora-Argon 18 (Ger)
- Cofidis, Solutions Credits (Fr)
- Direct Energy (Fr)
- Fortuneo – Vital Concept (Fra)
- Roompot – Orange Peloton (Ned)
- Top sport Vlaanderen – Baloise (Bel)
- Wanty – Groupe Gobert (Bel)