This is the formidable Deceuninck - Quick-Step squad for Milan-San Remo 2021
The Belgian WorldTour squad have plenty of options, including their former winner and world champion Julian Alaphilippe


Milan-San Remo 2021 fast approaches and Deceuninck - Quick-Step have revealed their daunting line-up for the Italian Monument.
The Belgian WorldTour squad will have plenty of options when the race hits the famous Via Roma in San Remo on Saturday (March 20), including world champion Julian Alaphilippe and star sprinter Sam Bennett.
Alaphilippe will be hoping to repeat his unforgettable win in the 2019 edition, this time in the prestigious rainbow jersey, while Bennett will be hoping for the first bunch sprint finish in San Remo since 2016.
Alongside their star riders, Deceuninck will be fielding an experienced Classics squad, including the likes of Zdenek Štybar, Yves Lampaert, and Kasper Asgreen.
Davide Ballerini is another sprinter capable of taking victory in San Remo, after taking the 2021 Omloop Het Nieuwsblad title in a bunch sprint last month.
Finally, Tim Declercq will be taking up the work-horse duties for Deceuninck in the 299km-long one-day race.
Sports director Davide Bramati said: “In the past couple of years, we have always featured in the finale at San Remo. We won’t hide the fact that we would like to do it again this Saturday, but at the same time we know that we are not the favourites for this edition.
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"On the other hand, the riders are really keen on doing their best in this first Monument of the season and we’ll just see what happens.
But Deceuninck riders will face tough competition from their rivals, including Strade Bianche winner Mathieu van der Poel (Alpecin-Fenix) and the reigning Milan-San Remo champion Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma).
Last season, Alaphilippe had to settle for an impressive second place behind an in-form Wout van Aert, after the pair went clear of the peloton on the Poggio.
Despite a strong chasing effort from the bunch, Van Aert and Alaphilippe held off their rivals by just two seconds at the finish.
Deceuninck - Quick-Step squad for Milan-San Remo 2021
Julian Alaphilippe (Fra)
Sam Bennett (Irl)
Davide Ballerini (Ita)
Zdenek Štybar (Cze)
Kasper Asgreen (Den)
Yves Lampaert (Bel)
Tim Declercq (Bel)
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Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
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