Cycling Tim Wellens (27) throws his plans to. The dual stage winner and leader in the Ruta del Sol fit for Paris-Nice and opted for Tirreno-Adriatico, where he chances on a beautiful finish higher estimate. Also the Strade Bianche is added to his program.
Ruta del Sol, Omloop, Paris-Nice. That hattrick, an exact copy of 2018, had Wellens in mind. His love for the ‘Race to the Sun’ is well known. The Monegask in him feels at home. And the rider built over the past five years, a mini-palmaresje: tenth in 2015, the win and fourteenth in 2016, fifth (less than 0.16 of Marc Soler) and winner of the green jersey in 2018. One time only failed in his great love. In 2017 he decided to Tirreno-Adriatico, but that was no unqualified success. Wellens gave early on.
Logical choice. And yet. On the decemberstage of Lotto-Soudal in Mallorca shimmered the doubt when Wellens already. Time at which the route of Tirreno-Adriatico was not known. That of Paris-Nice. “For 95% of the Paris-Nice. But I wait still like to take a moment”, she said. That they the 77th edition of their competition, something lighter would make, said Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO) Wellens, feel free. Nothing was less true, when the stages at the beginning of January was unveiled. Headsman in the queen’s stage on the penultimate day: the Col de Turini. Wellens swallowed.