Having achieved an early-season goal of winning a monument at Paris-Roubaix, Olympic champion Greg Van Avermaet`s remaining 2017 ambitions revolve around the Tour de France and World Championships. However, following a recon of the Bergen Worlds course by Belgian national coach Kevin De Weert, Oliver Naesen (AG2R-La Mondiale) and Yves Lampaert (QuickStep-Floors), the BMC rider is unsure it is suited to his characteristics. Naesen, Van Avermaet`s regular training partner, sent a text to Van Avermaet, who remained home in Belgium for the opening the Velo loft bike shop he co-owns with former professional Rik Verbrugghe, informing him of the course. `He said it is not so difficult,` Van Avermaet said according to Het Nieuwsblad. `Not that it really is a big surprise. It was said that regarding difficulty it would be something between theTour of Flanders and Amstel Gold Race.`ADVERTISEMENT After his successful cobbled classics campaign that includes wins at Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, E3 Harelbeke, Gent-Wevelgem and Paris-Roubaix and second in Flanders, Van Avermaet was 12th at Amstel Gold Race and 11th at Liege-Bastogne-Liege. However, the 31-year-old explained that having looked over the 276.5km profile he doesn`t believe 2017 is the year he`ll add a rainbow jersey to his palmares despite reaching a new versatile and consistent level in 2017. `I had already done some research and found that the elevation and climbs were quite good. There is a climb of over a kilometre [Salmon Hill, ed], but that is a bit like the Tiegemberg,` he said about the Belgian climb which regularly features in the cobbled classics. `Yes, I`m a little disappointed because it`s not supercharged.` In 2015, Harald Tiedemann Hansen, the president of the Norwegian cycling federation explained the course is one which suits the characteristics of Norwegian riders like Alexander Kristoff and Edvalad Boasson Hagen. A statement that Van Avermaet believes to be true, tipping Kristoff as the man to bea ...
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