Current UCI Team Ranking leader Deceuninck – Quick-Step returns to the 2019 Tour of California as one of the most successful squads in the running of the event.
For Fabio Jakobsen, victorious in three races (Scheldeprijs and one stage apiece in Algarve and Turkey) so far this season, it will be the first outing in the United States, where the 22-year-old Dutch sprinter will be joined by Ronde van Vlaanderen runner-up Kasper Asgreen, Rémi Cavagna, Tim Declercq, Danish Champion Michael Mørkøv, Argentinean Champion Maximiliano Richeze and Zdenek Stybar, one of this year’s Spring Classics stand-out riders.
The 14th edition of the Tour of California (12-18 May) features more than 20 000 meters of climbing and starts from Sacramento, where the fast men are expected to be in the spotlight at the finish, this being one of the three opportunities they’ll have to shine during the week. Three other days will smile to the attackers and puncheurs, with the big showdown set to come on Mt. Baldy (8.2km, 8.4%), the gruesome climb that makes its return on the course after two years, and which in the absence of an individual time trial, should be decisive in the fight for the overall victory.
“We are happy to come back every year at the start of the Tour of California, the race that takes place in the home country of our long-time sponsor Specialized, with a stage even finishing in Morgan Hill, where Specialized is based”, said experienced sports director Wilfried Peeters. “Fabio will be our main man for the bunch sprints, where he’ll be guided by Michael and Max, with Tim and Kasper the guys in charge of controlling the peloton. Zdenek and Rémi will have some freedom and we’ll see what they can do on this tough parcours. Overall, we are looking forward to being present there, in what’s always one of the nicest races on the calendar.”
Riders: Kasper Asgreen (DEN), Rémi Cavagna (FRA), Tim Declercq (BEL), Fabio Jakobsen (NED), Michael Mørkøv (DEN), Maximiliano Richeze (ARG), Zdenek Stybar (CZE)
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