Team Novo Nordisk Ready to Attack in the Breakaways at the Tour of Slovenia

Team Novo Nordisk heads to Slovenia this week for five days of demanding racing through one of cycling’s most scenic and challenging routes, with the squad looking to make their presence felt in the breakaways across a week that promises relentless climbing.

“The Tour of Slovenia is a beautiful race and we’re very excited to be back racing there,” said General Manager Vassili Davidenko. “Five days of challenging undulating terrain with each stage taking in a lot of climbing that will make for a very tough race.”

With sprint finishes at a premium on a course that rarely lets up, the team’s strategy centres on aggressive racing from the front. Davidenko confirmed the plan: “Over this type of terrain we will be looking to the experience of David Lozano and our younger climbers Lucas and Antonio to show what they can do, with sprint opportunities being few this week we need to be visible in the breakaways as much as possible.”

Veteran Spaniard Lozano, 37, brings a wealth of racing intelligence to a lineup that blends experience with youthful ambition. French climber Lucas Dauge and Italian Antonio Polga will be given licence to express themselves on the climbs, while Sam Brand, Quinten De Graeve, Andrea Peron and 19-year-old Juan José López complete a well-rounded squad capable of covering ground and staying active across all five stages.

The race also carries added significance in the context of the team’s broader calendar. “Slovenia marks our last race before we go into our all-important Talent ID camp in Italy in a couple of weeks’ time,” Davidenko noted, “where we’ll host the best young aspiring athletes who live with diabetes from around the world and they will get a chance to train and test with the team to show their potential ahead of our next block of racing that begins with our key race, the Tour of Denmark.”

Team Novo Nordisk at the Tour of Slovenia:

Sam Brand (GBR, 35)
Lucas Dauge (FR, 29)
Quinten De Graeve (BEL, 25)
Juan José López (ESP, 19)
David Lozano (ESP, 37)
Andrea Peron (AUS, 37)
Antonio Polga (IT, 27)

Stages:
Wednesday 17th June, Stage 1 | Velenje – Rogaška Slatina, 141.3 km
Thursday 18th June, Stage 2 | Radlje ob Dravi – Ormož, 181.8 km
Friday 19th June, Stage 3 | Maribor – Celje, 133.5 km
Saturday 20th June, Stage 4 | Kranj – Kranjska Gora, 184.7 km
Sunday 21st June, Stage 5 | Litija – Novo Mesto, 169.4 km