UAE-Team Emirates may have overtaken Jumbo-Visma in the UCI World Ranking thanks to Tadej Pogacar's victory, but there is no doubt within the cycling peloton that the Dutch team is the standout team of 2023. They conquered all three Grand Tours, although they couldn't achieve their second major goal: winning a Monument. In IDLProCycling.com, this determination was highlighted after the Tour of Lombardy.
Not that Jumbo-Visma was far behind; far from it. Wout van Aert secured third place in Milan-Sanremo, fourth in the Tour of Flanders, and third in Paris-Roubaix, while Primoz Roglic managed to secure third place in the Tour of Lombardy last Saturday. In Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the team didn't have a real chance of victory, although Tiesj Benoot's seventh place was a respectable result.
Meanwhile, the Dutch team's last Monument victory dates back to 2020 when Wout van Aert triumphed in Milan-Sanremo on August 8, and Primoz Roglic added his name to the honors list at Liège-Bastogne-Liège on October 4. Since then, fifteen Monuments have passed without a Jumbo-Visma victory, which will undoubtedly motivate Richard Plugge and his team as they aim to achieve this goal once again in 2024.
Certainly, we cannot characterize the spring and autumn of 2023 as disappointing. In addition to their success in stage races, the team also secured victories in Omloop Het Nieuwsblad, Kuurne-Brussel-Kuurne, E3 Saxo Classic, Gent-Wevelgem, Dwars door Vlaanderen, and the Giro dell'Emilia. These are prestigious classics, even if they are not officially Monuments.
Let's revisit early January when Jumbo-Visma unveiled its goals for 2023. The team's headline read, "Team Jumbo-Visma is fully committed to winning Monuments in the spring." It was stated that 'the expectations for 2023 are set exceptionally high, with a strong desire to secure victory in one of the two prestigious Monuments, the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix.' Sporting director Merijn Zeeman further emphasized, "Securing a Monument win in cycling is an incredibly challenging feat. Fortunately, we have already claimed two, but our ambitions remain as strong as ever."
Wout van Aert had bad luck in Paris-Roubaix and finished third partly because of it
The reason it didn't work out doesn't appear to be due to any significant mistakes by Jumbo-Visma. From Milan-Sanremo to Bergamo and Como, the team controlled every Monument except Liège. This was a deliberate choice, as team manager Maarten Wynants explained after that race. At that time, Van Aert had just finished his spring season, and Roglic was in preparation for the Giro d'Italia. Wynants stated, "We had a different plan for Primoz, focusing on being in peak form in the third week of the Giro. Liège, as a compromise, didn't really fit into that plan."
In Pluggewas's opinion, they had set different goals for the year. Regarding the overall spring and fall season, there wasn't much else to comment on tactically. This was the conclusion Plugge reached in April during our extensive conversation. He emphasized their primary objectives and acknowledged that while not achieving them was disappointing, the success in the rest of the spring season made up for it. He noted the team's impressive accomplishments and expressed their strong desire to win Flanders or Roubaix.
Sport director Marc Reef echoed similar sentiments after the last Monument, the Tour of Lombardy, in an interview with IDLProCycling.com. Reef mentioned their responsibility in controlling the race with Sam Oomen leading for much of the day and acknowledged that Tadej Pogacar's decisive move on the final climb resulted in a fair outcome, with Jumbo-Visma finishing in third place.
That same Pogacar, along with the likes of Mathieu van der Poel, is a key factor explaining Jumbo-Visma's "struggle" to win a Monument. Out of the 15 Monuments held in 2021, 2022, and 2023, Pogacar secured five victories for UAE-Team Emirates, while Van der Poel claimed three for Alpecin-Deceuninck. Remco Evenepoel also clinched two wins, with Kasper Asgreen (Flanders), Jasper Stuyven, Matej Mohoric (Milan-Sanremo), Sonny Colbrelli, and Dylan van Baarle (Paris-Roubaix) each taking one.
These exceptionally talented riders not only achieve results but also employ a distinctive racing style that sets them apart. They often turn the Monuments into grueling, lengthy battles, leading to solo victories after finales lasting over a hundred kilometers. In other words, the tactical finesse that makes Jumbo-Visma strong in other classics and grand tours can be more challenging to employ in head-to-head duels with the classics specialists. Nowadays, riders tend to finish these races one by one, rather than in small groups.
Primoz Roglic, a frequent leader in Liège and Lombardy in recent years, leaves for BORA-hansgrohe
In any case, the quest for a Monument is fueling determination at Jumbo-Visma. We expressed our apologies for raising the subject with team leader Reef after Il Lombardia, especially after such a successful season. However, he acknowledged the significance of the three-year Monument drought. "It certainly ignites a fire, and it's something we will always keep striving for. But then again, it's not an earth-shattering issue. Suppose we win one next year, we'll continue to fight just as vigorously for the next," he commented on the relentless drive within Jumbo-Visma. As for the future, it remains to be seen who will fill Roglic's shoes, particularly in races like Liège and Lombardy. Could Jonas Vingegaard step up for 2024?
Regardless, that's a matter for the future. For now, Jumbo-Visma will take some well-deserved time to reflect with satisfaction. "We can't help but be extremely content with this year, especially because everyone put in a tremendous amount of effort," Reef asserted in Italy. The season witnessed the team secure over sixty victories and claim victories in the Giro, Tour, and Vuelta. "We can proudly claim the title of the best team of the year," he added.