Preview of August Racing for Aqua Blue Sport

PREVIEW: August a month of opportunity for Aqua Blue Sport

Having taken the King of the Mountains jerseys in both the Tour de Suisse (June) and Tour of Austria (July), Aqua Blue Sport return to flatter terrain for the month of August, beginning with the 5-day PostNord Danmark Rundt (Tour of Denmark) from August 1-5.

A 2.HC-rated race that in 2018 takes place over five stages, including an individual time trial on stage 4, Aqua Blue Sport make their debut in the Tour of Denmark this year, the team’s strong Danish contingent of Lasse Norman Hansen, Casper Pedersen and DS Nicki Sørensen no doubt eager to showcase their local knowledge.

Pedersen in particular brings a wealth of experience to the table having won the race’s opening stage last year and taken third overall behind winner Mads Pedersen (Trek Segafredo), shortly before the announcement of his signing for Aqua Blue Sport. Sørensen himself also won a stage in the Tour of Denmark in 2009, while for Norman Hansen it’s a first return to the race since competing as an U23 in 2014. We are looking forward to cheering on the Danes on their home turf!

The second stage race of the month is the 2.1-rated Tour du Limousin, is a four-day contest held every August in the Limousin region of central France, now part of the new region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. With a history that dates back to 1968, the route typically takes riders on a hilly parcours through the departments that make up Limousin, including the Haute Vienne, Corrèze and Creuse. Past winners include Bernard Hinault (1976 and 1977), Marc Madiot (1981) and Sonny Colbrelli (2015). Aqua Blue Sport make their debut in Tour du Limousin in 2018, the 51st edition of the race, and will be sending a squad of strong all-rounders including Stefan Denifl, making his return to racing since sustaining a concussion in training which led to an enforced absence from the Tour of Austria.

Following on from the Tour du Limousin and we close out the month with a trio of one-day races taking in Belgium, the Netherlands and France. First of these is the 1.1-rated Grote Prijs Stad Zottegem (August 21),a one-day race held annually in August in Zottegem, Belgium, with a history dating back to 1934. The competition has a typically Flemish flavour, with a long parcours of over 200km sprinkled with cobbled sections and short, steep climbs. Aqua Blue Sport make their debut in the race for 2018, won last year by Jasper De Buyst of Lotto-Soudal, and will be sending a team of Classics specialists including Peter Koning, Andy Fenn, Elfstedenronde winner Adam Blythe and newly-crowned Irish national champion Conor Dunne.

The following day we go to Koning’s home country for the 32^nd Veenendal-Veenendal Classic, taking place in the central Dutch province of Utrecht. First raced in 1985, the Veenendal brings riders on winding roads through the forested, hilly landscape known as the Veluwe. It typically takes in a number of steep, cobbled climbs, the 2018 edition featuring the Grebbeberg and the Emma Pyramide, a 98m hill in the Rozendaal municipality historically used as a lookout. Again it’s a first appearance in for Aqua Blue Sport in the 1.1-rated race, won last year by Slovene Luka Mezgec of Orica-Scott and in 2016 by Dylan Groenewegen of Lotto-NL Jumbo.

Our final appointment for the month is with the inaugural Great War Remembrance Race, a new addition to the calendar organized by Flanders Classics and the organizers of Gent–Wevelgem as a 1.1 event on the UCI Europe Tour. Marking the 100^th anniversary of the end of World War 1, the race will begin in Nieuwpoort and end in Ypres, passing through the Belgian province of West Flanders and the French region of Nord-Pas-de-Calais.

Looking at the month ahead, DS Nicki Sørensen said the August race programme offered multiple opportunities for riders to deliver strong results in the latter half of the season, unsuprisingly picking out his home country's premier race as one that he and the rest of the team's Danish cohort were particularly interested in.

"The Tour of Denmark is a race we are really looking forward to," Sørensen commented. "Casper (Pedersen) and Lasse (Norman Hansen) are especially motivated for this race and we will have a strong team out there to support them.

"Casper did really well in this race last year, winning a stage and coming third overall, so he is hoping to do the same or even better this year. He will have the support of the team but I believe the second stage (Viborg–Vejle, August 2) will be decisive as it features a steep climb on which I expect something of a natural selection to take place. Whoever is up there after that is likely to feature in the overall results. In Denmark it's also always possible that crosswinds will play a big factor, so that's something to watch out for.

"We are super motivated for this race and I think it will be a great contest. Hopefully we are going to take something good out of the Danmark Rundt and enjoy it!"

Beyond Denmark, the hilly parcours of the Tour du Limousin offers a rich hunting ground for aggressive riders and breakaway specialists, with Sørensen expecting a tactical race where opportunities may arise without xwarning.

"This is the kind of race that suits us well, where the GC may be wide open and tactics will be crucial," he said. "The character of this race will suit riders like Eddie (Dunbar). and I also expect to see a good performance from Stefan (Denifl) who will be eager to return to competition following his recovery from concussion, and to prepare for the upcoming World Championships in Austria.

"Indeed for the remainder of the month, we expect to have a number of riders in good condition for the one-day races following stage races in Wallonie, Denmark and Limousin. Those riders will be eager for good results at this time of the year and we hope to be strong on several fronts."