Lorena Wiebes last-minute replacement in Tour of Bruges 

Defending champion Lorena Wiebes will line up for the Tour of Bruges. The Dutch national champion was originally not scheduled to race, but Marie Schreiber has not yet sufficiently recovered from an Achilles tendon injury.

Sports director Christian Kos: “Lorena Wiebes was originally not planned for the Tour of Bruges in order to maintain a good balance between load and rest. There are many major objectives scheduled around this race, and that’s why Lorena was initially not going to start. But she is in good shape and was very keen to add the Bruges Cycling Classic to her calendar once it became clear that Marie Schreiber wouldn’t be fit in time. So we will try to defend her victory.”

“The Tour of Bruges has taken a critical look at the safety of the course. They have paid close attention to it and added wider roads. The weather will be an important factor in determining whether a small group will sprint for the win or the peloton. There are still plenty of exposed sections, and with the forecasted wind, it can become a tough race.”

“The flow is good at the moment, and the Tour of Bruges is a beautiful WorldTour race. We hope to go for a third consecutive victory with Team SD Worx-Protime, after Nokere Koerse and Milan–San Remo,” Kos said.