It’s the week of the national championships and Team AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step can already celebrate their first national champion. Laura Lizette Sander rode to gold at the Estonian time trial championships. Laura Lizette, who is a first year U23 rider with AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step, has already been a double junior national champion in previous years.
“We were racing in Viljandi on a course of 18,5 kilometres,” Laura Lizette said. “Half of the course was downhill and then back up again. It was a super warm day so I tried to stay focused on being hydrated. I tried to hold back a bit in the first half and then go all out in the second half. It was really nice to have my family there. I received great support from my home club Pärnu Kalevi Spordikool. On Sunday we go again for the road race.”
Sander wasn’t the only one of the team racing against the clock. Last month, Luca Vierstraete and Febe Jooris took home the Belgian titles. Lotta Henttala was second at the Finnish championships earlier this week in both the time trial and road race and let’s not forget Ally Wollaston’s triple national titles in the time trial, road and criterium.
This week, almost all remaining AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step riders are getting ready for their own championships. The biggest teams will be in Belgium and the Netherlands. In Belgium, the elite riders race against the clock in Herzele. The road championships are in Izegem. In the Netherlands, the time trials are in Elspeet and the road races in Sittard.
The AG Insurance-Soudal Quick-Step colours will also be represented in Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France, Sweden, Spain, Czech Republic and Canada.
