2010 Vacansoleil season Manager Hilaire Van Der Schueren One-day victories 5 Stage race overall victories 2 Stage race stage victories 7 Previous season • Next season
The 2010 season for the cycling team began in January with the Grand Prix d'Ouverture La Marseillaise. As they did in their inaugural season in 2009, the team competes in 2010 as a UCI Professional Continental team with wildcard status, meaning they are eligible to be invited to any UCI ProTour event. The team's manager is Hilaire Van Der Schueren.
The team's biggest acquisitions for the 2010 season are Feillu brothers, both of them minor stars from a recent Tour de France while riding for Agritubel. Romain, the elder, wore the yellow jersey for a day in 2008, while younger brother Brice won a stage in 2009.
2010 roster Ages as of January 1, 2010
Riders who joined the team for the 2010 season Rider2009 teamBrice FeilluRomain FeilluGorik GardeynMichał GołaśAlberto OngaratoStéphane Rossettoneo-proRob Ruijghstagiaire ()Joost van LeijenVan Vliet-EBH-Elshof
Riders who left the team during or after the 2009 season Rider2010 teamBaden CookeWim De VochtReinier HonigClément L'hôtellerieGerben LöwikThijs van AmerongenFree agentAart VierhoutenRetired
One-day races
Spring classics The team opened its season at the Grand Prix d'Ouverture La Marseillaise. The squad for this event was chosen in December; Hoogerland was the leader, trying to improve upon a fifth-place finish in this race in 2009. Westra figured into the morning's breakaway, along with Jussi Veikkanen and Julien El Fares, and nearly managed to stay away, being caught with only a few kilometers left in the race's final climb. A selection was made among the 85-strong peloton that had caught Westra and Veikkanen, with six, including Hoogerland, contesting an uphill sprint finish. Hoogerland finished second behind 's Jonathan Hivert. Traksel won Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne, on the first weekend of the traditional spring classics season, in brutally bad weather. Of the 198 riders who began the race, just 26 finished, as the rain and the cold combined with the hilly parcours to make for what was called the most difficult day of racing in the last seven years. Traksel outsprinted two breakaway companions, Ian Stannard and Rick Flens, for the win. Vacansoleil had had van Groen in first position on the road when Traksel made his eventually race-winning attack. Van Der Schueren told Traksel to drop back, yet the stocky Dutchman continued to ride away. Though happy to have won, he referred to the attack as "stupid" when asked after the race.
The team also raced Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and the Clásica de Almería.
Fall races
Stage races Vacansoleil's first stage race of the season was the Étoile de Bessèges. The first stage ended in a mass sprint, won by Božič after the team overpowered ' leadout train. Božič followed it up with a similar win the next day. In February, Mol won the Tour of Qatar overall by figuring into a crucial stage 2 breakaway. He did not win any stage.
The team also sent squads to the Tour of Oman, the Tour Méditerranéen, the Volta ao Algarve, and the Ruta Del Sol.
Grand Tours The team did not receive invitations to either the Giro d'Italia or the Tour de France, despite the fact that both start in the Netherlands. It remains to be seen whether they will be invited to the Vuelta a España.
Season victories Date Race Competition Rider Country Location Étoile de Bessèges, Stage 1 UCI Europe Tour Le Grau-du-Roi Étoile de Bessèges, Stage 2 UCI Europe Tour St. Ambroix Étoile de Bessèges, Points classification UCI Europe Tour Tour of Qatar, Overall UCI Asia Tour Ruta Del Sol, Mountains classification UCI Europe Tour Kuurne–Brussels–Kuurne UCI Europe Tour Kuurne Ronde van het Groene Hart UCI Europe Tour Zoetermeer Three Days of De Panne, Teams classification UCI Europe Tour The riders on the squad were Lieuwe Westra, Romain Feillu, Matthé Pronk, Jens Mouris, Gorik Gardeyn, Bobbie Traksel, Alberto Ongarato, and Borut Božič Ronde van Drenthe UCI Europe Tour Hoogeveen Tour de Luxembourg, Overall classification UCI Europe Tour Tour de Pologne, Mountains classification UCI World Ranking Tour de Pologne, Sprints classification UCI World Ranking Vuelta a Burgos, Stage 4 UCI Europe Tour Salas de los Infantes Tour de l'Ain, Stage 2 UCI Europe Tour Trévoux Tour de l'Ain, Stage 4 UCI Europe Tour Belley Tour de l'Ain, Points classification UCI Europe Tour Druivenkoers Overijse UCI Europe Tour Overijse Grand Prix de Fourmies UCI Europe Tour Fourmies Tour of Britain, Stage 4 UCI Europe Tour Teignmouth Tour of Britain, Stage 7 UCI Europe Tour Colchester Tour of Britain, Sprints classification UCI Europe Tour Tour of Britain, Mountains classification UCI Europe Tour Tour of Britain, Teams classification UCI Europe Tour The riders on the squad were Borut Božič, Michał Gołaś, Johnny Hoogerland, Pim Ligthart, Matteo Carrara, and Wout Poels
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