The ninth edition of Liège-Bastogne-Liège will be used by Team Visma | Lease a Bike to close the successful spring season in a fitting way. After Pauline Ferrand-Prévot's impressive victory in Paris-Roubaix, Van Emden is clear about the objective in La Doyenne. "If you won the previous monument, you have to have the ambition to go for the win again. With Pauline we definitely have a contender in our team."

According to Van Emden, the 33-year-old Frenchwoman, who returned to the road this season, has managed to quickly connect with the world's top riders. She not only won Paris-Roubaix, but also achieved a third place in Strade Bianche and a second place in the Tour of Flanders. "Of course you know she is a world-class rider, but I didn't expect her to compete for prizes right away. Pauline is a real leader. She speaks out and creates a certain line. The whole team gets better from that."

Geurts can attest to that. The 21-year-old rider experiences the benefits of training together with Ferrand-Prévot and Marianne Vos on a daily basis. "It works very motivating to be in a team with such giant leading ladies. Pauline and Marianne try to teach the young girls all sorts of things. No one can teach you more than they do. That is very valuable," said Geurts, who finished 10th in the Flèche Wallonne on Wednesday.

In Liège-Bastogne-Liège, she hopes to keep that momentum. "I have done a good training block in the past weeks and used it to be here in the best shape possible. I'm really looking forward to it, even though it will be a very tough race. The climbs follow each other at a rapid pace and once it starts, it doesn't stop. What I remember from the previous editions? That you should never give up. Because it goes up and down continuously, you can always come back."

In the last spring classic, the riders will face 10 climbs, including the Col de la Redoute and the Col de la Roche-aux-Faucons. According to Van Emden, it is important to be attentive throughout the day. "In recent years we have seen that it can happen in several places. We have to make sure we are in control of the race as much as possible and are always in position to race with it," the sports director said.

With five podium spots, including three in the last three monuments, Team Visma | Lease a Bike can look back on a successful spring. Van Emden is proud that his riders are developing nicely. "As a team we are getting better and in the width we have become stronger. The results of recent months offer perspective for the coming period. It would be nice if we can end the spring season in a nice way on Sunday."

Together with Geurts and Ferrand-Prévot, Marion Bunel, Maud Oudeman, Femke de Vries and Viktória Chladoňová complete the six-rider lineup of Team Visma | Lease a Bike Women.