Since the beginning of 2023, Tibor del Grosso has been making significant strides as a promising Dutch talent in the cyclo-cross world. The amiable Groninger began the year with his first World Cup win in the under-23 category at Besançon and finished second behind Thibau Nys at the World Championships. After transferring to Alpecin-Deceuninck, he aims to achieve even greater results in both the short and long term.
This transfer has already proven fruitful: Del Grosso dominated the first two World Cups for U23s in Troyes and Dublin. Last weekend, he competed in his first pro race in Boom, where he finished thirteenth. Speaking to IDLProCycling.com afterwards, he seemed somewhat disappointed.
"It was bad," Del Grosso concluded in the cold at the Tomorrowland venue, before providing some context. "I've been a bit sick last week, but I decided to start anyway. In hindsight, I shouldn't have," said the rider who had hoped to make an impression among the big names. "I had hoped for a good result, but after last week, I didn't have any specific goals. After my victories in the U23 category, I was hoping to perform well here too. I expected more, so it was a bit disappointing. I hoped it would go at least somewhat well, but it didn't."
"There were quite a few cyclo-cross riders who caught a bad cold after Dublin," he observed. "I really wasn't well for a while, but it seemed to be getting better." Del Grosso is uncertain if he had the same ailment as his fellow competitors. "I don't necessarily think something was going around, but being on an airplane doesn't help either. I'm not sure if everyone had the same thing, but I definitely heard that several riders weren't completely fit. Unfortunately, I was one of them."
The move to Alpecin-Deceuninck has been beneficial for Del Grosso, who is also a commendable road racer. "I'm very happy with it. It's exactly the step I needed, I think. You're part of a larger, more comprehensive support structure here, even though I already had a good setup at Metec. But I'm glad I made the transfer."
That he would rise to the top so quickly in his first races was perhaps unexpected. "At the end of last season, I was also competing at the front. I hoped to do that again, but it was certainly a surprise that it went so well right from the first race," said Del Grosso, who doesn't expect everyone to be watching his every move in the remaining U23 World Cup races. "It's not for me to declare myself the favorite, but people will probably be watching me."
However, the talented Dutchman is not overly concerned about his less impressive day in Boom. "I'm heading to a training camp now, so I'll get some good vitamin D in Spain. We'll see how it goes after that," he concludes with a smile.