EF Education-EasyPost could also be down the rider they particularly signed for the Spring Classics, however their ambitions in Belgium stay the identical. The US staff will probably be led by a motivated Neilson Powless, hoping to copy his earlier robust Classics outcomes.
Former Tour of Flanders winner Kasper Asgreen made the change from Soudal-QuickStep over the winter with the particular function of main the staff via the most important races within the spring. The Dane will now miss the entire race block with a viral an infection.
Although information of Asgreen’s absence was solely confirmed earlier this week, EF have identified about his sickness since Paris-Nice. Heading into Friday’s E3 Saxo Classic, the staff had clearly moved on from the preliminary lack of their chief.
“At the second, I’d say that is outdated information. It’s not a subject,” directeur sportif Andreas Klier informed Cyclingnews forward of E3.
“Not that we do not know the way good he would have been if he would have been capable of race, however first issues first – first get wholesome, after which come again. I feel that is primary. So in the mean time, right here in Harelbeke, it isn’t a subject.”
Focusing on getting again to well being fairly than speeding again to racing has clearly been a key issue for the staff, with Asgreen himself saying: “It’s going to harm to overlook the races I like essentially the most, however I’m very, very grateful that I’m in a staff the place they see my greatest worth as being the perfect model of myself.”
Without Asgreen, EF will look to the expertise of riders like Owain Doull to convey among the experience that Asgreen would have added to the staff, while their greatest likelihood at prime outcomes now appears to be like to be Powless.
The newest race content material, interviews, options, opinions and knowledgeable shopping for guides, direct to your inbox!
The 28-year-old took third in Dwars door Vlaanderen and fifth within the Tour of Flanders again in 2023 however missed the Classics final 12 months attributable to harm, so he is again in Belgium to attempt to rediscover a few of that kind in these races.
Powless acknowledged the hole Asgreen will go away, however he was clear that he and the staff weren’t any much less hopeful or motivated to get caught into racing.
“He was going to be our headliner for the Classics this 12 months, which is absolutely unlucky. He’s received most likely essentially the most expertise from our staff in these races, so it is a huge bummer to not have him right here,” Powless stated.
“But we’re nonetheless tremendous bold, and I’m nonetheless actually bold to attempt to land on the rostrum right here, even attempt to win, nevertheless it undoubtedly would have been higher with him right here.”
Losing a frontrunner would see most groups change tack or maybe reevaluate their objectives, however for EF, the place opportunism and scrappy racing have been their modus operandi, the targets stay.
“It would not change [our ambitions] in any respect. Same objectives – we’re down one actually robust rider, however the objectives keep the identical,” Powless stated.
After recovering from pneumonia earlier this 12 months, Powless began E3 in good spirits, constructive about his kind, and hopeful {that a} repeat of his robust ends in Belgium 2023 can be potential.
“I’m feeling actually good. I’m at all times motivated, that is by no means an issue, however hopefully I’ve received the legs to again it up,” he stated.
“Basically from [February] I’ve been feeling higher and higher, other than the hiccup in Paris-Nice – I used to be simply frozen day by day, that sucked – however then San Remo I felt superior once more so hopefully I’ve received the mojo again.”
Klier was additionally upbeat concerning the American’s skills, with out piling on any strain.
“We wished to race him right here, we need to race him in Dwars door [Vlaanderen], we need to race him in Flanders, as a result of if he finds again his legs – which I imagine [he can] – then you are going to see him on TV,” he stated.
“If not, it is also not the tip of the world. There are different races to return, and different seasons, and this that and the opposite. That’s the explanation why he is right here: if he has golden legs he’ll be on the TV digital camera. If not, then not.”
Though EF have but to choose up a win in 2025, Klier stated that the staff is working properly collectively and using properly generally however simply lacking the final piece of the puzzle wanted to take a prime end result on the finish of a race.
“The execution is definitely the factor they did very properly, however in some way the [last part of the race] to the road is not a given. Basically, the alternative of De Panne, the place we rode not good in any respect as a staff, however we received third,” he stated.
“The different races, for a number of weeks now, we really experience very properly as a staff, and we do not get a end result, so let’s hope we experience very properly at present and get a end result.”