Dylan van Baarle heads back to altitude after Omloop and Kuurne — with Pauline Ferrand-Prévot

Van Baarle has been preparing alongside Jasper Stuyven in recent weeks. “We’ve spent a lot of time together the past few weeks because we were on Tenerife for three weeks. It was just the two of us and a soigneur, and it was super relaxed,” the Dutchman said on his podcast In Koers with Wout Poels and AD journalist Marijn Abbenhuijs.

“Jasper has been doing that for a number of years and he’d already booked two rooms last year, so we talked about it during the December camp. That’s how it came together. The fact that we have the same coach makes it extra easy.”

Omloop will be the first time the ‘renewed’ Soudal Quick-Step lines up for a major Flemish Classic. “We have three guys with a free role, including Paul Magnier,” Van Baarle explained of the team’s internal balance. “With him, we still have to see how he does in the longer Classics and whether he’ll ride all of them. In any case, we want to go as far as possible and support each other as much as we can.”

Van Baarle says he has quickly felt comfortable in his new Belgian environment. “My impressions of Soudal Quick-Step are good. Everything is really well organised, and Belgium is obviously the cycling country par excellence. You notice that within the team too. Everyone is really passionate — and I am as well — so it’s a great environment. You feel that love for the Classics in some way. That’s what they’re good at, and I’m really looking forward to getting started.”

The 33-year-old already showed in the Algarve on Sunday that the legs are there, finishing tenth on the queen stage. “I felt pretty good that day and thought: I’m just going to try. Maximilian Schachmann was in the break, but he unfortunately dropped back. So I thought: then I’ll just go full gas to the finish. It’s a difficult finish, but it’s a nice one to test yourself as a Classics rider.”

“It’s nice to be back in Belgium now and get that feeling,” Van Baarle said. “After Omloop and Kuurne, I’m going to do a top-up training camp at altitude, and I won’t be back until E3 Saxo Classic, Dwars door Vlaanderen, the Tour of Flanders and Roubaix.”

“I’m happy with that programme — two blocks: first Algarve and Opening Weekend, then the other Classics,” Van Baarle continued, before adding one extra bonus. “That second training camp is together with Pauline (Ferrand-Prévot), so that’s a big advantage. We probably won’t train together much, but we’ll spend more time together. Once the season starts again, we know it’s hard to see each other. So we have to enjoy the moments when we can.”