Björn Leukemans took second behind Philippe Gilbert in this weeks’ Brabantse Pijl, but Vacansoleil DCM directeur sportif Michael Cornelisse has said that he sees Wout Poels as being the big challenger from the team in Sunday’s Amstel Gold Race. “If Wout does a good race, he is capable of winning the Amstel Gold Race,” he claimed in an interview with NRC.
“I certainly hope that he’ll do that. He will also be at the start of Fleche Wallonne, and he will have the same objective: to try to be the best.”
Poels will be accompanied by fellow Vacansoleil DCM riders Stijn Devolder, Serguey Lagutin, Björn Leukemans, Pim Lighart, Marco Marcato and Rob Ruygh in Sunday’s Dutch Classic. It travels over constantly undulating and twisting roads, and is a test on riders’ endurance, recovery and also their handling abilities.
A stage winner in last year’s Tour of Britain, Poels has had a very solid season thus far in 2011. He was third overall in the Tour of the Mediterranean and first in the best young rider competition, and he was also fourth overall in the Vuelta a Murcia.
He went close to winning stage five of Tirreno-Adriatico, losing out to Philippe Gilbert into Castelraimondo.
Gilbert will be one of the top favourites for Sunday’s Amstel Gold Race, and Poels will need to overcome the Belgian if he is to win his home Classic. If he manages to do so, it will be a breakthrough for both him and his team.