After six seasons on the UCI Continental Tour, the WB Veranclassic-Aqua Protect cycling team has made the step up the the UCI Professional Continental level for the 2017 and is looking to make an immediate statement on the professional cycling scene.
Founded in 2011 as the Wallonie Bruxelles-Credit Agricole cycling team, the Belgian squad has continued to build its cycling resume and achieve more notable successes each year.
The WB in the WB Veranclassic-Aqua Protect stands for Wallonie Bruxelles, which is the representative organization for the Wallonie region of Belgium. The Federation Wallonie Bruxelles has been a title sponsor for the team since its inception in 2011. Veranclassic is a Belgian veranda, poolhouse, and garden structure manufacturer, which is in its first year as co-title sponsor for the team, while Aqua Protect is a manufacturer of waterproof housing sealants based in Belgium as well.
Other partners with the WB Veranclassic-Aqua Protect team include AGO, a job-finding and HR company, Wanacom car rental, TRBA road construction, Natura4Ever wellness products, Aqua Service water softeners, and Coca-Cola.
The WB Veranclassic-Aqua Protect is outfitted by Belgian sportswear company Vermarc, and compete in their unique neon green and black kits. The team bikes are supplied by Belgian bicycle manufacturer Ridley and use a Shimano groupset.
WB Veranclassic-Aqua Protect currently sits in a solid 6th place among the UCI Europe Tour standings with 2089 UCI points.
Veteran rider Maxime Vantomme has come through with outstanding results thus far in 2017, after signing with WB Veranclassic-Aqua Protect for the 2017 season. Vantomme is in his eleventh year in the professional peloton, and has quickly made a mark as part of the WB Veranclassic-Aqua Protect team. At the Spring Classics, the Belgian rider took multiple high finishes, with an 11th place showing at Gent Wevelgem and an 13th place result at Dwars door Vlaanderen, both in March. In stage races Vantomme has been equally impressive in the general classification, taking 6th overall at Three Days of De Panne in March, followed by a 13th place overall finish at Four Days of Dunkirk and a 6th place general classification result at the VOO-Tour de Wallonie. Vantomme also put in a solid showing at the Belgian National Time Trial, finishing with the 14th fastest time.
Roy Jans has been another important rider for the WB Veranclassic-Aqua Protect squad in 2017, finding widespread success primarily in one-day races. Jans has shown his abilities at one-day races in the past, twice finishing second at the Sparkassen Munsterland Giro in 2015 and 2016, while also taking second at the Brussels Cycling Classic in 2015 and finishing second at the Belgian National Road Race Championship in 2014. In March of this year, Jans took 4th at Paris-Troyes, followed by 7th at the Handzame Classic and 37th in a loaded field at Dwars door Vlaanderen. Then Jans took 5th at the Grand Prix de Denain, while also finishing second at the Grand prijs Jean-Pierre Monsere, 6th at the Grand Prix Cerami, and taking his first win of the season at the Grand Prix de la ville de Perenchies.
French veteran Justin Jules has also been a major contributor to the WB Veranclassic-Aqua Protect team in 2017. Jules is in his sixth year of professional cycling, and is riding for the first time with the WB Veranclassic-Aqua Protect squad for the 2017 season. Jules has compiled three stages wins in 2017 thus far, taking one stage each at the Tour Cycliste International La Provence, the Tour de Normandie, and the Circuit Cycliste Sarthe. The Frenchman was also able to put up respectable results at the Spring one-day races, finishing 23rd at Omloop het Nieuwsblad, followed by a 6th place showing at Paris-Troyes and 16th at Danilith-Nokere Koerse. Jules also won the points classification at the Tour de Normandie in March, while taking 3rd overall in the final general classification standings.
The complete roster for the 2017 WB Veranclassic-Aqua Protect cycling team includes:
Riders
| DE WINTER Ludwig | 31.12.1992 | BEL | |
| DELFOSSE Sébastien | 29.11.1982 | BEL | |
| DERNIES Tom | 22.11.1990 | BEL | |
| HABEAUX Gregory | 20.10.1982 | BEL | |
| ISTA Kevyn | 22.11.1984 | BEL | |
| JANS Roy | 15.09.1990 | BEL | |
| JULES Justin | 20.09.1986 | FRA | |
| KIRSCH Alex | 12.06.1992 | LUX | |
| MASSON Christophe | 06.09.1985 | FRA | |
| PARDINI Olivier | 30.07.1985 | BEL | |
| PEYSKENS Dimitri | 26.11.1991 | BEL | |
| SPENGLER Lukas | 16.09.1994 | SUI | |
| STASSEN Julien | 20.10.1988 | BEL | |
| VANTOMME Maxime | 08.03.1986 | BEL |
Neo-Pros
| DERUETTE Thomas | 06.07.1995 | BEL | |
| DUQUENNOY Jimmy | 09.06.1995 | BEL | |
| NAESEN Lawrence | 28.08.1992 | BEL | |
| ROBEET Ludovic | 22.05.1994 | BEL | |
| WARNIER Antoine | 24.06.1993 | BEL |
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