Thanks to their superstar sprinter Andre Greipel and some quick harmony with a revamped lead-out, Lotto-Belisol is off to a flying start at the conclusion of the season’s first big race.
Greipel won Sunday’s final stage of the Santos Tour Down Under in Adelaide ahead of former team-mate Mark Renshaw (Rabobank), nabbing his and Lotto-Belisol’s third win of the week and fourth of the season. Greipel got things going in the warmup event, the Down Under Classic, then began his Santos Tour Down Under campaign when he won the opening stage in Clare as well as stage four in Victor Harbour.
Overall winner in 2008 and 2010, the addition of the hilltop finish on Wallunga Hill eliminated the possibility of a third general classification win at the Tour Down Under for the big German, although it was stage four which was his unexpected undoing. The race was ultimately taken by Simon Gerrans (GreenEdge) ahead of Alejandro Valverde (Movistar). But with lead-out trains from Rabobank and Garmin-Barracuda yet to get on track, Greipel should head to his next races with a leg up on the competition.
“What can I say? The team does all the work,” Greipel praised after Sunday’s finish. “I love this race to start the season. The course, the people, and the atmosphere make this an experience that you do not forget.
“Right now I have eleven victories in Australia; I need two more to beat Robbie McEwen [who has the record with twelve – ed.]. I’ll be back!”
It was not all positive for Lotto-Belisol, as the team lost Jürgen Roelandts at the end of stage one. Working as an early lead-out man, Roelandts was caught up in a high-speed crash that also took out Frederic Guesdon (FDJ) and suffered a broken vertebrae in his neck.
But the Belgian is in good spirits, considering himself lucky that the injury wasn’t worse, and was there at the finish on Sunday to congratulate Greipel for his stage win. He is expecting a six-week recovery process.
“Looking back, you realize you escaped something that could have been worse,” Roelandts told Sporza. “The break was close to the spine. I’m glad I can still walk around.”
His accident aside, the season debut has been a superb one. Team director Marc Sergeant believes that the positive attitude and good spirits coming out of Australia could be contagious, and could well spread throughout his revamped Lotto-Belisol roster.
“I’m impressed not only by the victories, but how they did it,” Sergeant lauded. “As a new team with new sponsors we are very delighted with the way things are going. It’s important to us that our participation, team building, mental coaching, and the specific sprinting sessions pay off.
“The riders who are still at home are now very motivated to show the same. The winning mood and the ‘grinta’ is there.”