Lotto-Intermarché counting on Van Eetvelt and De Lie at the Giro, if only for a week

The Giro d'Italia is almost here and almost every team has now named its squad. Lotto-Intermarché kept their cards close to their chest for a long time, but the wait is over. With Arnaud De Lie and Lennert Van Eetvelt, the merged Belgian squad have two leaders — and a few hidden cards up their sleeve.

De Lie will be expected to shine in the opening days. Stage one in Bulgaria offers an immediate opportunity for the maglia rosa, and further sprint chances await in Italy. The Walloon will leave the race after around ten days, however. He wants to ride the Tour de Wallonie at all costs, as he has explained. Van Eetvelt will then become the team's trump card in the high mountains. A strong overall classification finish is within reach — he is also one of the dark horses for the white jersey.

The rest of the squad is made up of Jonas Rutsch, Milan Menten, Toon Aerts, and Italian pair Lorenzo Rota and Simone Gualdi. The 21-year-old Gualdi makes his Grand Tour debut here, as does Aerts. The cyclocross specialist made a positive impression in the spring and now gets his chance to show what he can do in stage racing. Joshua Giddings is reportedly a late replacement for Liam Slock, who fell ill. Rumour has it a cow pat was to blame.

"With this squad we head to the Giro d'Italia as a well-balanced team," sporting manager Kurt Van de Wouwer told the team's website. "We have a clear card to play in the sprints with Arnaud, but alongside that we want to give other riders the freedom to take their chances. For Toon and Simone this is an important step in their development. A first Grand Tour is always something special, and we will support them every step of the way."

For Gualdi, the Giro is a particularly meaningful milestone. The young Italian made his professional debut this year and a place in this squad underlines his rapid development. "It means a great deal to me to be on the start line of the Giro d'Italia. It is a race I have been dreaming about since I started cycling," he says.

Arnaud De Lie
Lennert Van Eetvelt
Toon Aerts
Milan Menten
Simone Gualdi
Lorenzo Rota
Jonas Rutsch
Joshua Giddings