Habeaux among 2011 winners returning to Belgian squad
Verandas Willems-Accent, the Belgian Pro Continental team in existence since 2008, has re-signed a handful of riders that helped bring the team success in 2011. The team continues to finalize its roster for 2012.
Along with Sjef De Wilde, Kevin Van Melsen, and James Vanlandschoot, the team brings back Gregory Habeaux, who picked up one of the team’s five wins in 2011. The Belgian won Dwars door het Hageland-Aarschot, a UCI 1.2 race in his home country in July.
Also returning for Verandas Willems-Accent is Jurgen Van Goolen. The former Discovery Channel and Saxo Bank rider took stage three of Route du Sud, and finished his season with a 77th at Paris-Tours.
Van Goolen returns to lead the team with Staf Scheirlinckx and Stefan Van Dijk, the squad’s most successful riders of 2011. Scheirlinckx took an outstanding eighth place in the Tour of Flanders, and Van Dijk stood on seven different podiums throughout the season, including a stage one win in Route du Sud.
Steven Caethoven, who won Delta Tour Zeeland stage two, also returns to Verandas Willems-Accent in 2012.
“We have done a thorough study of the past season and we are moving forward with Stefan Van Dijk, Steven Caethoven, and Staf Scheirlinckx as leaders,” said team director Lucien Van Impe.