New Women's World Team Roland Coggies Edelweiss skipped Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Omloop van Het Hageland, and Le Samyn to prepare for this weekend's Strade Bianche, team manager Ruben Contreras admitted that.

The team, which was given world team status over the winter, started the season with a stage race at Setmana Ciclista Valenciana in February, but was the only world team to miss the opening weekend.

Contreras told Cycling News that the team held its first full team camp in Calpe from February 21 to March 2, ahead of the first World Tour race of the season, Strade Bianche, on Saturday.

"After Valenciana, we went to the premier tech men's service course in Girona and picked up the new big bus. The weather was great and it was good training for all of us."

Contreras also cited the sheer number of races and the team's relatively small and young roster as reasons for choosing race days outside of the World Tour.

"The problem is that you can't ask athletes to run 100 races a year," he said. They need rest. They are human beings, not racehorses. It is impossible to run four races in one week in February."

Contreras also revealed that the team is trying to sign two more riders to expand its roster, but has not received permission from the UCI.

After partnering with Israel Premier Tech last month, Roland Coggies Edelweiss announced the signing of Israeli rider Rotem Gafinowitz, but she will not race for the team until June 1.

"We have a new rider, but she will not join our team until June 1. This means we have to choose our races carefully in order to have a good program and do a good job."

The team will travel from Calpe to Tuscany on Wednesday to prepare for the Strade Bianche. Learn, learn, learn."

"We also need to be careful. It's very dangerous and we need the riders for the other races. I hope there are no accidents."

Contreras confirmed that the team lineup for Saturday will be Olga Zabelinskaya, Tamara Dronova-Barabolina, Grunaz Hatuntseva, Diana Klimova, Leah Stern, and Aline Seitz.

Newcomer to the Women's World Tour, Laurent Coggis Edelweiss will be required to compete in all World Tour events this season, including a busy schedule that includes the cobbled Spring Classic. After missing the early season races, Laurent Cogeas Edelweiss' debut in Belgium will be the OxyClean Classic Bruges-De Panne on March 24.