Nokeré Koerse, Michel Ries' takeover
With Hugo Hofstetter on Nokeré Koerse, the Arkéa-Samsic team also welcomes Michel Ries back into the race.
Photo Arkéa-Samsic/Thierry Sourbier
Pre-race
“It feels good to be back in competition. My condition is good after several weeks of training, which means that I can start racing again on Nokeré Koerse, a little earlier than originally planned. I know that I still have a lot of work to do, and racing again will allow me to reach a new level, because lately I have been doing a lot of volume – in order to have a good base – but little intensity. Being in a race will allow me to work on this channel. It’s very good for my morale to be back in the race and to be back in a group with the Arkéa-Samsic team. I’m going to try to help my team-mates as best I can. I’ve spent a lot of time at home, and it’s nice to be back with everyone, to feel the atmosphere of the day before the race, and to think that I’m going to get my first number on my Arkéa-Samsic jersey”.
The briefing’
“As is often the case in Belgian races, Nokeré Koerse offers an 80 km circuit to start with, followed by a circuit with cobbled sections at each passage. It is a real classic, which often offers a race of movement. We can expect a scenario similar to the Samyn, or Drenthe, and this will undoubtedly be a new opportunity for Hugo to show himself. We should also note the return to competition of our Luxemburgish rookie Michel Ries who will be back in the race after having undergone surgery at the beginning of the season for an endofibrosis of the left iliac artery”.