Belgian outfit Wanty-Groupe Gobert will take part in the Tour de France for the second straight year. The reigning Europe champions animated the race with numerous breakaways in 2017. The profile of their sole leader Guillaume Martin has raised significantly since their first stint at the Grande Boucle. “I learned from my experience last year that it’s very special to do sport for three weeks and compete in kind of a marathon every day”, the Frenchman said. “Physically, it builds a sportsman. I was young when I started one year ago. I felt that my body had changed after that. I stepped up a level thanks to the Tour. I hope for the third week to be less complicated than last year. We’ve learned how to deal with the length of the race. Now I just come out of a good Dauphiné where I placed 12th while racing at the front with the best climbers. It boosts my confidence even though I know it was only a one-week race and some of the protagonists of the Tour de France weren’t present. I start with higher ambitions on GC than last year [23rd]. But I’m aware of the specificities of the first week. I hope to be up there after stage 9 in Roubaix. If so, I’ll target the top 15 overall or the white jersey but if I lose some time in a crash or else, it won’t be the end of the world. I can as well turn my focus on other goals.”
