Sidelined in the past three months with a knee injury that kept him out of the Ardennes Classics and the Tour de France, Julian Alaphilippe will make his return to racing at Grand Prix Cerami, a one-day race named after Pino Cerami, the 1960 Paris-Roubaix victor and also the oldest winner of a Tour de France stage.
The event, taking place Wednesday afternoon between Saint-Ghislain and Frameries (210.8 kilometres), will be no stroll in the park, as the riders will take on a rolling terrain sprinkled with short and punchy climbs such as La Houppe (1600m, 5.2%), Les Plachettes (1200m, 5.8%) and Muur-Kapelmuur (1200m, 7%) before entering on the local circuit, whose focal point will be the Frameries hill, set to be covered three times.
“I am really looking forward to returning to the peloton and race again,” Alaphilippe said ahead of Wednesday’s race. “I would not say I am more motivated than normal because I’m always motivated, but I really miss racing and it is something special for me to come back.”
“I need some kilometres and hours of racing to get the speed back in my legs. I do not have any expectations for myself, and just want to enjoy, help my teammates and then we will see what goals I can set for the rest of my season.”
Also making the Quick Step Floors squad for the 51st edition of the Belgian race will be neo-pro and fellow countryman Rémi Cavagna, Tim Declercq, Dries Devenyns, Iljo Keisse, Belgian ITT Champion Yves Lampaert, Maximilian Schachmann and Pieter Serry.
Quick Step Floors team for Grand Prix Cerami (BEL) 1.1
Julian Alaphilippe (FRA)
Rémi Cavagna (FRA)
Tim Declercq (BEL)
Dries Devenyns (BEL)
Iljo Keisse (BEL)
Yves Lampaert (BEL)
Maximilian Schachmann (GER)
Pieter Serry (BEL)
