First appearance for both Blue squads

Roelandts leads men's team at Belgian calendar's opening races -also at Kuurne on Sunday-; Jasinska, Biannic make first appearances with strong Blue ladies' lineup at Het Nieuwsblad and Sunday's Omloop van het Hageland.

For the first time in its 40 years of history, the Movistar Team will be racing the opening weekend of Belgian pro cycling. The Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (Saturday 2nd March) and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne (Sunday 3rd), for the men, and the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad (2) + Omloop van het Hageland (3), for the ladies, will be the next challenge for the revamped classics roster from the Telefónica-backed squad.

On the men’s side, Pablo Lastras will conduct a seven-rider lineup which notably features local reference Jürgen Roelandts, who will be leading the Movistar Team on the cobblestones for the first time at the Omloop. Imanol Erviti, Jorge Arcas, Carlos Barbero, Antonio Pedrero, Carlos Betancur and Eduardo Sepúlveda complete the group for both races.

In turn, Jorge Sanz will be at the helm of a powerful Blue lineup for the women’s races, which includes the 2019 debut by two of the Movistar Team’s biggest names: Malgorzata Jasinska and Aude Biannic. Alongside them will be Sheyla Gutiérrez, Roxane Fournier, Gloria Rodríguez and Alicia González. The six will be joined on Sunday, as a last-minute addition and in her debut with the team, by Colombian Paula Patiño.