The Iranian rider of the new Lotto Belisol team, Mehdi Sohrabi, has arrived in Belgium. After a short integration and the first physical tests at Energy Lab, he will join his teammates on their first training camp in Spain, December 6.

Mehdi Sohrabi is an all round rider who has achieved success both on the road and on the track. With 27 victories last season, he is sometimes called the Asian Philippe Gilbert. However, Sohrabi himself does not take this comparison seriously: "Gilbert is one of the best cyclists in the world while I have not proven myself at the World Tour level," he says. But there is a striking similarity between the riders. They both have the quality to be at their best on the right moment. For the second stage of the Tour of Taiwan Sohrabi said that he would win for his fiancée’s birthday. Every rider knew he wanted to win, but nobody could stop him being the first rider who crossed the finish line.

The level of competition is obviously higher in Europe than in Asia, but Sohrabi has no doubt that he can handle it. In Iran, he has proven he can win with riders like Davide Rebellin and Stefan Schumacher riding in the peloton. At the World Championships in Copenhagen, he finished in the same group as Thor Hushovd, while both were slowed by a crash. This was a good performance for a rider who rarely competes at the European level.
The goal of Sohrabi in his first season in Europe is concentrating on his training, and adapting to the European races. The speed and extent of the pack are important differences from the Asian races, as are the winding, narrow roads. "Once me and my new team-mates are on the bike, everything will come together," he says confidently.
For Sohrabi the season will be a success if he can contribute something in achieving the objectives of the Lotto Belisol team. Of course, he dreams of showing himself in a number of beautiful races in the coming season. The Tour of Flanders and the Tour de France are among his favorites, but he realizes he has to prove himself before being allowed to ride those races.

Mehdi Sohrabi was very sought after in the transfer market by a number of World Tour teams (AG2R, Geox). But eventually he opted for the Belgian Lotto Belisol team. “I’ve always had a good relationship with Belgium. I’ve met Eddy Merckx a couple of times, and during the Tour of Qatar I talked with Tom Boonen. When I was preparing for the Olympics, I trained with Eric Vanderaerden. He told me I had the physique of a classic rider.”
 

“Since 2010, I ride with a Belgian bike, and the Ridley Noah has become my favorite bike. This sponsorship also influenced my team choice.” When Sohrabi had to choose between teams, the founder of Ridley Bikes, Jochim Aerts, convinced him to move to the Belgian Lotto Belisol team. The philosophy of Ridley is to give riders of countries where cycling isn’t as popular support so they can improve, and maybe go to Europe. Mehdi Sohrabi is the first rider who is able to make this leap forward.