The Wanty-Gobert team has finalised its squad for the 2019 road campaign. 28 year-old Belgian Frederik Backaert has extended his stay with the Walloon Pro Continental formation where he has ridden since 2014 until the end of 2019.
The rider from Brakel who finished 9th in the GP Samyn in 2018 and 15th in the E3 Harelbeke completes the 21-rider Wanty-Gobert team for 2019.
Frederik Backaert: “It is a relief to be able to extend at Wanty-Gobert. I have always been confident and motivated, so I started my preparation already a whole time ago. I did not yet go on a foreign training camp, in order to be fresh for the start of the season. But I did not rest here in Belgium. The past week for example I clocked 700 training kilometers. My program heading to Omloop het Nieuwsblad and Le Samyn consists of Challenge Mallorca, Tour de Provence and Tour of Algarve.”
“I cannot wait to return in the group, with the will to show me in the classics and obtain a ticket for the Tour de France. I am also aiming for the Belgian championships, with some cobbled sectors in my home region. I am also very happy to be part of a team with two riders from my area with whom I often train: Bart De Clercq and Aimé De Gendt. I look forward to continue riding on the Cube bikes, because in October I accompanied the German brand to discover their new range in Portugal.”
Hilaire Van der Schueren: “Backaert remains an important element in the classics. I also rely on him in the sprint preparation. I expect him to be ready for the opening weekend with Omloop het Nieuwsblad and Le Samyn. Our group for the races in Flanders has strengthened with the coming of Aimé De Gendt and Loïc Vliegen, which offers a wider collective for the cobbles. With 21 riders our recruitment is complete. This will allow us to compete in two programs and collect UCI points throughout the whole season.”
