The Belgian race will be our first outing after the Grand Tour season came to a conclusion last Sunday.
Desselgem, a small town in West Flanders, not far from Waregem, is the home of the Grand Prix Briek Schotte, named in the honour of the famous Belgian who in the post-war years built an astonishing palmares, which boasted victories at the World Championships, Ronde van Vlaanderen, Gent-Wevelgem or Paris-Tours.
Held over a testing 155km-long parcours, Desselgem Koerse – with its cobbles and hills – will make for some spectacular racing, with attacks expected to come from kilometer zero, especially as the event will be difficult to control by the reduced teams.
Three Quick-Step Floors riders will line up for the 75th edition of the Grand Prix Briek Schotte: the experienced Martin Velits, Przemyslaw Karperkiewicz – who impressed in Omloop Mandel, where he helped Iljo Keisse take the victory – and Alvaro Hodeg. Both Kasperkiewicz and Hodeg are stagiaires, but if the Pole already got to race in the team's colors, the Colombian will make his debut as a trainee for the team, which he joins after taking a spectacular stage win at the prestigious Tour de l'Avenir.
Photo credit: ©Tim De Waele
