Diego Ulissi leads UAE challenge in Luxembourg

Experienced campaigner excited he can deliver the goods during five-day race

Dubai: Experienced puncheur Diego Ulissi will lead the UAE Team Emirates with a strong and versatile squad for the Tour of Luxembourg that will be held from September 15-19.

Accompanied by Ivo and Rui - the Oliveira twins from Portugal - the UAE Team Emirates will have Norwegian rider Sven Erik Bystrom, Swiss rider Tom Bohli and Belgium’s Jasper Philipsen.

The riders will tackle 835 km of tarmac, packed full of steep climbs and sprint finishes during the five-day tour. The mix of terrain will offer some great opportunities for Ulissi and the team’s fast man Philipsen and both head into the race with an eye at least on stage wins.

Spain’s Aurelio Corral and Neil Stephens of Australia will lead the six-man squad as Sports Directors.

Ulissi was confident while heading into a challenging race that starts from Tuesday. “It’s a race with lots of short but steep climbs which should suit me. I’ve been consistent and I’m hoping to convert that consistency into a win very soon,” he said.

“This will be an important part of the build-up for the Giro d’Italia. We will have Jasper for the sprint finishes and I think between us we can work off each other well,” Ulissi added.

The Squad: Diego Ulissi (Italy); Sven Erik Bystrøm (Norway); Tom Bohli (Switzerland); Ivo Oliveira (Portugal); Rui Oliveira (Portugal); Jasper Philipsen (Belgium). Sports Directors: Aurelio Corral (Spain) and Neil Stephens (Australia).