The addition of Philippe Gilbert to Lotto Soudal has energized the entire team and galvanized its leaders for the 2020 campaign. Tim Wellens, who will share leadership with Gilbert in a number of spring classics, believes that the 37-year-old's return to the team he was with until 2011 will take a load off his shoulders in many important races.

"There are better players coming in. You only have to look at Philippe Gilbert and his Palma to see that. So does John Degenkolb. There is a new wind blowing in the team. I'm looking forward to racing with them," Wellens told Cycling News at the Lotto Soudal training camp in Spain.

"Philippe has real leadership. He has the palma to back it up, and the more riders we have in the finale of the race, the better.

"(Team manager) John Lerangue asked me last year about Phil coming in. I am a leader in many races, but I don't have the leadership that Philippe Gilbert has. He has won four Monument and other races and that will be the key to our success. We both have a similar style of racing, we both want to attack and get to the front. We have raced together on national teams and I think we have a good dynamic. He's a nice guy to work with and open. With his experience, he can make a difference."

Wellens is hoping Gilbert's magic will work on him after a mixed 2019. The Belgian won a few races but failed to make a significant showing in the Ardennes Classic.

"2019 was an average year for me," he said. 'It was neither good nor bad. The Tour de France was good, I wore the polka dot jersey for 15 days, it was the biggest race of the year and I had four stage wins which was a nice experience. In the Tour, the conditions were warm and the time trial went well, but I want to get a result in the Ardennes Classics. I want to get a result in the Ardennes Classics; in 2019 I only raced two races in Flanders and focused on the Ardennes. I'm still chasing top results."

"I think in 2019 I was a bit slower than in 2018. My legs were not where they needed to be, but sometimes it is difficult to give 200% because 100% is not enough."

To peak in the Classics this spring, Wellens has changed his race program, starting with the Classics at the Volta ao Algarve in February before heading to the Giro d'Italia and Tour de France. He will compete in both the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de France, aiming for a stage win in the Giro, but balancing his own ambitions with those of his team in the Tour.

"The season starts later than usual, so my first race will be in the Algarve. In the last few years, the first few races have been very good and then things drop off a bit. So I'm going to start late and try to keep that going a little bit longer."

"I have really good memories of my two stage wins in the Giro. I love riding the Giro and I'm going to go back and try to win a stage. And I'll be back in the Tour. The Tour is the biggest race of the year and the most important. I think I can improve in stage races, but it's still a week-long race like the Pologne or Paris-Nice.