Spring Classics
From a team that's noticeably been struggling for results in the last few years it would've been expected to see that lack again, but it ended up a disapointing spring to say the least with the addition of Michael Valgren into the roster. The only Top10, in fact the only actually noticeable result throughout the whole cobbles campaign was a ninth place in De Panne from Giacomo Nizzolo.
On the road it actually started quite well, Ryan Gibbons got a fourth place in Australia in a dash of strong form, however the rest of the team didn't follow the same line, Top20 in both Strade Bianche and Milano Sanremo weren't a disaster but nothing to be sniffed at and a seventh place in Brabantse Pijl, followed by a tenth place in Fléche Wallone were the results the team had to show for in the spring.
Stage-Races
Early wins in Valencia from Boasson Hagen and Nizzolo in Oman set up for what could be an at least solid win count but it didn't catch on, there was in fact no real result until Yorkshire came where Slagter was seventh, a bit later Boasson Hagen brought life into the team with a win and third overall in Norway, soon after he also took a stage win in the Dauphiné alongside a day in yellow, Giacomo Nizzolo then took what were the final two wins of the season from the team in Slovenia and later on in Burgos, and in August with Burgos and also performances from SK.Andersen and Valgren in BinckBank is where their form started to finally unveil.
Grand Tours
The Giro didn't go so well but none of the GT's did to be honest, Nizzolo was peeking in the sprints but the competition was always too strong, O'Connor didn't have the legs of previous years it would seem and Gibbons also lacked the power to be in proper stage win contention, in the Tour it was a different situation but a similar outcome, despite Kreuziger having a strong race, finishing sixteenth he never shone and despite a good team, some big riders were very far from their best form. In the Vuelta there was nothing to show really.
Season Finale
It had in fact been a turning point in the season that post-Tour, Nizzolo was sixth in RideLondon and subsequently finished on the podium in Hamburg whilst Michael Valgren took charge with a fourth place in Bretagne and then a fifth place in Montreal, that Canada stint also had Tom Slagter finish a good sixth place in Québec. There were five more Top10 finished in one-day races until the end of the season, nothing to note but having the jersey in display until the end.
Wins (WT): 7 (1)
Highlight: Boasson Hagen's win in the Dauphiné
Best Performer: Giacomo Nizzolo
Biggest Surprise: Stefan de Bod
Negative Surprise: Mark Cavendish
Ranking: 3/10
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